Cost of diagnosing dementia in a German memory clinic

Table 2 Utilization of diagnostic procedures to identify biomarkers and average costs of the diagnostic process for the total sample and depending on the subsequently received dementia diagnosis

	Total sample (n = 120)			Patients who were finally diagnosed with dementia^a (n = 53)			Patients who were finally not diagnosed with dementia^b (n = 67)			p value^c
	n (%)			n (%)			n (%)
Utilization of procedures
Blood test	44 (36.7)			27 (50.9)			17 (25.4)			0.005
MRI	71 (59.2)			38 (71.7)			33 (49.3)			0.016
CT	20 (16.7)			14 (26.4)			6 (8.9)			0.014
CSF	22 (18.3)			11 (20.8)			11 (16.4)			0.637
PET	7^d (5.8)			4^d (7.5)			3 (4.5)			0.698
Cost of diagnosis	Mean	95CI^–	95CI⁺	Mean	95CI^–	95CI⁺	Mean	95CI^–	95CI⁺
Time-related processes (€)	110	105	115	121	114	128	103	96	109	0.002
Diagnostic procedures (€)	391	320	460	538	421	655	274	199	348	0.001
Total diagnostic process (€)	501	430	573	659	540	778	376	301	451	0.001

Differences in means were evaluated using two-tailed t tests referring to patients diagnosed with dementia and without dementia diagnosis
MRI magnetic resonance imaging, CT computer tomography, CSF cerebrospinal fluid puncture, PET positron emission tomography, 95CI 95% confidence interval, ICD International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems
^aReferring to the following ICD-10 diagnoses: F00.0, F00.1, F01.1, F00.2, F02.0, and F03
^bReferring to the following ICD-10 diagnoses: F06.7, F33.1, F34.1, F41.2, F31.1, and F60.3, and other conditions or no hint for cognitive impairment
^cDifferences in proportions evaluated using Fischer’s exact test, differences in means evaluated using t tests
^dOne patient received florbetaben PET, all others fluorodeoxyglucose PET

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