Predictive properties of referral communications for mental illness and dementia in a community.

As a measure of community awareness, this study examined the predictive properties of the diagnoses in referral communications for mental illness and dementia in elderly people. The patients were referred to the Aged Care Assessment Team from diversified sources over an 18-month period, the referral initiators being the general practitioner (GP), community nurse, family and others. There were 90 patients with dementia and 32 with psychiatric disorders. The referral letters were examined retrospectively as to the content and yield identifying a definite or possible diagnosis of dementia or psychiatric illness. The GP and community nurse had comparable rates of success as compared with the other two groups. The ability of the GP and other groups to diagnose functional psychiatric disorders was generally negative.