Abstract
To clarify the current state of and issues concerning medical care for dementia, we conducted a questionnaire survey of members of the JSGHP (Japanese Society of General Hospital Psychiatry) in March 2012. As a result, we obtained responses from 87 centers (42 general hospitals, 24 university hospitals, 8 psychiatric hospitals, and 13 psychiatric clinics). The main departments that provided medical care for dementia were: psychiatric departments (86.2%), departments of neurology (44.8%), departments of neurosurgery (5.7%), and departments of internal medicine (5.7%). The proportions of patients aged 65 years or older among the new out-patients in 2011 were 45.2, 37.3, 32.9, and 15.5% in general hospitals, university hospitals, psychiatric hospitals, and psychiatric clinics, respectively. This suggested that medical care for dementia is provided daily regardless of the type of medical center or doctors' specialty. In addition, it was indicated that 40% or more of the patients in consultations in university and general hospitals had dementia. A wide range of current limitations and tasks were pointed out, such as the promotion of community cooperation, skewed distribution of specialized medical centers (general hospitals), treatment of physical complications and BPSD (behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia), and provision of dementia education.
