Antidementia drug treatment in dementia networks in Germany: use rates and factors associated with treatment use

BACKGROUND: Dementia networks in Germany constitute a specialised setting for integrated dementia care and have shown benefits on relevant outcomes, including those of drug treatment. National guidelines recommend treatment with acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (donepezil, galantamine, rivastigmine) or the N-Methyl-D-Aspartate antagonist (memantine) to reduce cognitive symptoms. However, prescription rates are lower than 30 % in general practises. This study aims to describe antidementia drug treatment and the factors that are associated with the treatment in different dementia networks across Germany. METHODS: We have analysed the socio-demographic, clinical and utilisation data from 560 patients with dementia (PWD), as well as data from their caregivers, in 13 selected dementia networks in Germany. The patients and caregivers were interviewed in their homes or in the network facilities. Multiple logistic regression models were fitted to evaluate the socio-demographic and clinical factors associated with the utilisation of antidementia drug treatment in the various networks. RESULTS: In all of the networks in the study, 52 % of the participants received an antidementia drug treatment. Factors associated with the utilisation of the antidementia drug treatment were: formal diagnosis (OR = 16.81, p < 0.001), association with a physician in the network (OR = 3.69, p < 0.001), higher number of comorbidities (OR = 0.88, p = 0.039), living alone (OR = 0.51, p = 0.032) and higher age (OR = 2.97, p = 0.002). CONCLUSION: Medical treatment of PWD with antidementia drugs in dementia networks in Germany is more frequent than in primary and nursing home care settings. Our findings also suggest that participants with a formal diagnosis and a physician in the network have increased rates of receiving antidementia drug treatments. These findings suggest that dementia networks focusing on medical treatment should support diagnostic procedures and incorporate physician specialists.