Alzheimers Dement. 2026 May;22(5):e71481. doi: 10.1002/alz.71481.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: The Dementia DataHub (DDH) reports U.S. dementia prevalence and incidence from Medicare data. Variation in sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of diagnoses related to geography and participant characteristics complicates the interpretation of these data.
METHODS: We evaluated performance of DDH-defined Medicare claims diagnoses against linked Health and Retirement Study (HRS) survey-based dementia classifications.
RESULTS: DDH’s likely-or-higher dementia definition achieved 50% sensitivity, 97% specificity, and 91% accuracy relative to the HRS classification. Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy varied across census divisions and by urbanicity. Respondents with dementia missed in claims were younger and healthier than those correctly identified.
DISCUSSION: Medicare claims reflecting diagnoses of dementia provide valuable information about who may be receiving dementia treatment and where; however, they often miss cases in ways that differ by geography and patient characteristics. Variation in diagnosis in Medicare claims relative to HRS survey-based dementia classification can be used to improve the value of Medicare diagnoses for surveillance purposes.
PMID:42186810 | DOI:10.1002/alz.71481
