 |
| Research article summary (published 27 Feb 2002): |
Current state of research on decision-making competence of cognitively impaired elderly persons.
Full Abstract
As the number of cognitively impaired elderly persons increases, the need for evidence-based assessments of their capacity to consent to medical treatment and research participation will grow. The authors conducted an electronic and manual literature search for all English-language articles examining the decision-making capacity of elderly persons with dementia or cognitive impairment, reviewing articles in relation to key areas of methodological, clinical, and policy importance. The 32 relevant studies identified were highly heterogeneous, even in their definitions and measurements of decisional capacity. Although incapacity is common, many persons with dementia are capable of making their own medical and research decisions. In Alzheimer disease, memory and executive-function deficits predict decisional impairment. Still, at least in early stages of dementia, interventions may improve decisional abilities. Short and simple cognitive screening may be useful by identifying persons in need of more intensive evaluations. The use of expert judgment-based methods may mitigate the problem of a lack of a criterion standard for competence. Research into the decision-making competence of cognitively impaired elderly persons is a growing field. It is beginning to yield findings with practical implications for preserving the autonomy and welfare of this group of vulnerable elderly patients.
Learn Faster Today Improve your study skills
Author information
Author/s: Kim, Scott Y H (SY); Karlawish, Jason H T (JH); Caine, Eric D (ED);
Affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Division of Medical Humanities, University of Rochester School of Medicine, NY 14642, USA. scott_kim(-atsign-)urmc.rochester.edu
Grants: K01-AG00931 (Agency:United States NIA) ; K23MH64172 (Agency:United States NIMH) ; MH18911 (Agency:United States NIMH) ; P30-AG01024 (Agency:United States NIA)
Journal and publication information
Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.; Review
Journal: The American journal of geriatric psychiatry : official journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry (Am J Geriatr Psychiatry), published in United States. (Language: eng)
Reference: -2002 Mar-Apr; vol 10 (issue 2) : pp 151-65
Dates: Created 2002/04/01; Completed 2002/05/23; Revised 2007/11/14;
PMID: 11925276, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 11/6/2008)
Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.
Comments and Corrections
CommentIn: Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2003 Mar-Apr;11(2):257-8; author reply 258-9. (PMID: 12611758)
External Links for this article (including full text providers, if available):
Click Electronic Full-text Provider Links to see options for finding the electronic full text links to this article. Note there may be a subscription or fee required for access to the full text. See our FAQ for information on finding FREE full text articles.
This article may also be located in paper journal collections available in many libraries. Use the Journal and Publication Information above to find the full article.
MeSH headings (categories)
This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.
|
|
Related articles
This article has not been indexed for related articles as yet, however you can still use the live related article search links below.
See a large map of 100+ related articles.