Impact of Medicare Annual Wellness Visit on Detection of Cognitive Impairment Is Minimal

A national study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society measured the effect of the Medicare Annual Wellness Visit on early identification of cognitive impairment, and found it has only minimal impact on detection of cognitive impairment as well as on subsequent cognitive testing and care, reports Medical Xpress . Change was found to be insignificant in the rate of new diagnoses of Alzheimer's disease and related cognitive impairment, and in the rate of brain imaging or neuropsychological testing used to diagnose cognitive impairment. However, the researchers identified an increase in the use of laboratory testing for thyroid dysfunction and vitamin B deficiency, which may be used to spot possible causes of reversible causes of cognitive impairment. The results indicated no variance by gender, race, age, or health status. "Our study shows that implementing a policy — mandating inclusion of detection of cognitive impairment as one of the required elements of the Medicare Annual Wellness Visit — without guidance on how to implement, means it isn't being done," says Nicole Fowler with the Indiana University Center for Aging Research. "Brief tools that have been validated in primary care could be employed and coupled with a plan for follow-up if cognitive impairment is suspected, but it does not appear that is being done across the United States."