Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/229436 
Year of Publication: 
2021
Series/Report no.: 
GLO Discussion Paper No. 777
Publisher: 
Global Labor Organization (GLO), Essen
Abstract: 
Cognitive impairment creates significant challenges to health and well-being of the fast-growing aging population. Early recognition of cognitive impairment may confer important advantages, allowing for diagnosis and appropriate treatment, education, psychosocial support, and improved decision-making regarding life planning, health care, and financial matters. Yet the prevalence of memory-related diagnoses among older adults with early symptoms of cognitive impairment is unknown. Using 2000-2014 Health and Retirement Survey - Medicare linked data, we leveraged within-individual variation in a longitudinal cohort design to examine the relationship between incident cognitive impairment and receipt of diagnosis among American older adults. Receipt of a memory-related diagnosis was determined by ICD-9-CM codes. Incident cognitive impairment was assessed using the modified Telephone Interview of Cognitive Status (TICS). We found overall low prevalence of early memory-related diagnosis, or high rate of underdiagnosis, among older adults showing symptoms of cognitive impairment, especially among non-whites and socioeconomically disadvantaged subgroups. Our findings call for targeted interventions to improve the rate of early diagnosis, especially among vulnerable populations.
Subjects: 
cognitive impairment
cognitive aging
dementia
Medicare
memory-related diagnosis
JEL: 
I11
I14
J14
I18
R20
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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