Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients with Alzheimer's Disease in Different German Health Care Settings.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the health-related quality of life (HrQoL) of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) in different care settings (institutionalized versus community-dwelling) across all severity stages of dementia. Patients were consecutively recruited with their primary caregivers (123 inpatients and 272 outpatients), and the impact of patient-related parameters such as behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) (Geriatric Depression Scale [GDS] and Neuropsychiatric Inventory [NPI]) and functional capacity (Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study-Activities of Daily Living [ADCS-ADL]) on HrQoL was analyzed. Patients' HrQoL was assessed using self-reported and caregiver-rated generic (EuroQoL Instrument) and dementia-specific (Quality of Life-Alzheimer's Disease [Qol-AD]) scales.

Cost and care of patients with Alzheimer's disease: clinical predictors in German health care settings.

The study aims to report service use and costs for patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and to explore the incremental influence of sociodemographic and illness-related determinants in ambulatory and inpatient settings within the German health care system. 395 patients with dementia were recruited at the following sites: 1) University hospital, 2) general practitioners' offices, 3) office-based neurologists, 4) a regional psychiatric hospital, and 5) nursing homes. Sociodemographic, economic, and clinical parameters were assessed using a standardized questionnaire.