Moritz Platen, Maresa Buchholz, Anika Rädke, Eva Gläser, Audrey Iskandar, Neeltje van den Berg, Wolfgang Hoffmann, Bernhard Michalowsky
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Introduction: Claims data typically lack clinical parameters such as dementia severity, limiting insights into disease progression and related healthcare utilization and costs. Although diagnoses, prescriptions, and utilization patterns may serve as proxies, their validity is unclear. This study aimed to identify and validate these parameters to distinguish early from severe dementia stages.
Methods: Baseline data from 737 patients with dementia were analyzed. Dementia severity was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination and classified as early (≥ 27), mild (20-26), and moderate to severe (0-19). Healthcare utilization was recorded via structured interviews. Diagnoses, long-term care levels, and prescribed medications were extracted from physicians' files. Ordinal logistic regression evaluated associations between predictors and severity, with average marginal effects (AME) quantifying impact. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) were computed for key predictors.
Results: Among the sample (56% female patients, mean age 80), 18% were in the early stages, 43% mild, and 39% moderate to severe. Antipsychotic prescriptions (odds ratio (OR) 3.40, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.94-5.95), antidementia drugs (OR 2.31, 95% CI 1.56-3.40), and higher long-term care levels (OR 5.59, 95% CI 2.23-13.99 for level ≥ 4) were associated with advanced severity. AME analysis revealed that antipsychotic use reduced early-stage probability by 14% and increased severe-stage probability by 21%. Similarly, antidementia drugs lowered early-stage probability by 9% and raised severe-stage probability by 13%. Increasing care levels were associated with a 2-16% decline in early-stage probability and a 3-34% rise in severe-stage probability. The combined model showed high specificity (99.6%) and PPV (84.6%) for severe dementia, but sensitivity and NPV for early stage were low.
Conclusion: Antidementia drugs, antipsychotics, and long-term care level serve as robust predictors of moderate to severe dementia, whereas early-stage detection remains challenging. Future studies should validate these markers and explore additional predictors to improve early detection in claims data.
期刊介绍：
Aims and Scope
Neurology and Therapy aims to provide reliable and inclusive, rapid publication for all therapy related research for neurological indications, supporting the timely dissemination of research with a global reach, to help advance scientific discovery and support clinical practice.
Neurology and Therapy is an international, open access, peer reviewed, rapid publication journal dedicated to the publication of high-quality clinical (all phases), observational, real-world and health outcomes research around the discovery, development, and use of neurological and psychiatric therapies, (also covering surgery and devices). Studies relating to diagnosis, pharmacoeconomics, public health, quality of life, and patient care, management, and education are also welcomed.
The journal is of interest to a broad audience of healthcare professionals and publishes original research, reviews, case reports, trial designs, communications and letters. The journal is read by a global audience and receives submissions from all over the world. Neurology and Therapy will consider all scientifically sound research be it positive, confirmatory or negative data. Submissions are welcomed whether they relate to an international and/or a country-specific audience, something that is crucially important when researchers are trying to target more specific patient populations. This inclusive approach allows the journal to assist in the dissemination of all scientifically and ethically sound research.
Rapid Publication
The journal’s rapid publication timelines aim for a peer review decision within 2 weeks of submission. If an article is accepted, it will be published online 3-4 weeks from acceptance. These rapid timelines are achieved through the combination of a dedicated in-house editorial team, who closely manage article workflow, and an extensive Editorial and Advisory Board who assist with rapid peer review. This allows the journal to support the rapid dissemination of research, whilst still providing robust peer review. Combined with the journal’s open access model, this allows for the rapid and efficient communication of the latest research and reviews to support scientific discovery and clinical practice.
Open Access
All articles published by Neurology and Therapy are open access.
Personal Service
The journal’s dedicated in-house editorial team offer a personal “concierge service” meaning that authors will always have a personal point of contact able to update them on the status of their manuscript. The editorial team check all manuscripts to ensure that articles conform to the most recent COPE and ICMJE publishing guidelines. This supports the publication of ethically sound and transparent research. We also encourage pre-submission enquiries and are always happy to provide a confidential assessment of manuscripts.
Digital Features and Plain Language Summaries
Neurology and Therapy offers a range of additional features designed to increase the visibility, readership and educational value of the journal’s content. Each article is accompanied by key summary points, giving a time-efficient overview of the content to a wide readership. Articles may be accompanied by plain language summaries to assist readers who have some knowledge of, but not in-depth expertise in, the area to understand the scientific content and overall implications of the article. The journal also provides the option to include various types of digital features including animated abstracts, video abstracts, slide decks, audio slides, instructional videos, infographics, podcasts and animations. All additional features are peer reviewed to the same high standard as the article itself. If you consider that your paper would benefit from the inclusion of a digital feature, please let us know. Our editorial team are able to create high-quality slide decks and infographics in-house, and video abstracts through our partner Research Square, and would be happy to assist in any way we can. For further information about digital features, please contact the journal editor (see ‘Contact the Journal’ for email address), and see the ‘Guidelines for digital features and plain language summaries’ document under ‘Submission guidelines’.
For examples of digital features please visit our showcase page https://springerhealthcare.com/expertise/publishing-digital-features/
Publication Fees
Upon acceptance of an article, authors will be required to pay the mandatory Rapid Service Fee of €5250/$6000/£4300. The journal will consider fee discounts and waivers for developing countries and this is decided on a case-by-case basis.
Peer Review Process
Upon submission, manuscripts are assessed by the editorial team to ensure they fit within the aims and scope of the journal and are also checked for plagiarism. All suitable submissions are then subject to a comprehensive single-blind peer review. Reviewers are selected based on their relevant expertise and publication history in the subject area. The journal has an extensive pool of editorial and advisory board members who have been selected to assist with peer review based on the afore-mentioned criteria.
At least two extensive reviews are required to make the editorial decision, with the exception of some article types such as Commentaries, Editorials and Letters which are generally reviewed by one member of the Editorial Board. Where reviews conflict, an Editorial Board Member will be contacted for further advice and a presiding decision. Manuscripts are then either accepted, rejected or authors are required to make major or minor revisions (both reviewer comments and editorial comments may need to be addressed. Once a revised manuscript is re-submitted, it is assessed along with the responses to reviewer comments and if it has been adequately revised, it will be accepted for publication. Accepted manuscripts are then copyedited and typeset by the production team before online publication. Appeals against decisions following peer review are considered on a case-by-case basis and should be sent to the journal editor, and authors are welcome to make rebuttals against individual reviewer comments, if appropriate.
Preprints
We encourage posting of preprints of primary research manuscripts on preprint servers, authors'' or institutional websites, and open communications between researchers whether on community preprint servers or preprint commenting platforms. Posting of preprints is not considered prior publication and will not jeopardize consideration in our journals.
Please see here for further information on preprint sharing: https://www.springer.com/gp/authors-editors/journal-author/journal-author-helpdesk/submission/1302#c16721550
Copyright
Neurology and Therapy is published under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial License, which allows users to read, copy, distribute, and make derivative works for non-commercial purposes from the material, as long as the author of the original work is cited. The author assigns the exclusive right to any commercial use of the article to Springer. For more information about the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial License, click here: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0.
Contact
For more information about the journal, including pre-submission enquiries, please contact managing editor Lydia Alborn at lydia.alborn@springer.com.
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