Mild cognitive impairment among older adults in outpatient clinics: Awareness and knowledge needs survey

Objective

The aim of this study was to assess the current awareness and knowledge requirements related to mild cognitive impairment (MCI) among older adults in hospital outpatient departments, serving as a reference for designing cognitive health intervention strategies tailored to older adults.

Methods

A custom-designed questionnaire was administered to survey 132 older adults attending outpatient clinics.

Results

The MCI symptom awareness score among older adults in outpatient clinics was 7.45 ± 3.58 points. The average correct identification rate for MCI cases was 55.1 %, while the misclassification rate for non-MCI cases reached 38.8 %. Among participants, 38.6 % would be unwilling to disclose an MCI/dementia diagnosis if they or a family member were affected, and 25.0 % believed that older adults with MCI/dementia would face social contempt. The most preferred source for cognitive impairment prevention methods was hospital consultations (92.4 %), followed by television, radio, newspapers, the internet, and other media channels (57.6 %), and outpatient clinic or community health lectures (56.8 %). Participants sought information primarily on MCI symptoms (64.4 %), etiology, and risk factors (60.6 %), among other topics.

Conclusion

Approximately 50 % of older adults in outpatient clinics accurately identified MCI symptoms; however, misconceptions and misjudgments remained. Some older adults were reluctant to disclose their condition. Hospital consultations were the preferred source for obtaining cognitive impairment prevention methods. Enhancing public education on cognitive impairment is essential to help older adults accurately recognize MCI symptoms, seek early screening, and adopt preventive measures, thereby mitigating disease progression and minimizing its impact on their quality of life.