A new national survey of centers for cognitive disorders and dementias in Italy
Ilaria Bacigalupo, Francesco Giaquinto, Emanuela Salvi, Giulia Carnevale, Roberta Vaccaro, Fabio Matascioli, Giulia Remoli, Nicola Vanacore, Patrizia Lorenzini, the Permanent Table of the National Dementia Plan Study Group and the CCDDs Study Group, Gennarina Arabia, Alessandro Amorosi, Ilaria Bacigalupo, Anna Maria Bargagli, Luisa Bartorelli, Cristina Basso, Manuela Berardinelli, Maria Pompea Bernardi, Caterina B. N. A Bianchi, Lorenzo Blandi, Federica Boschi, Amalia C. Bruni, Alessandra Caci, Paolo Caffarra, Marco Canevelli, Andrea Capasso, Susanna Cipollari, M. Cozzari, Alfonso Di Costanzo, Teresa Di Fiandra, Annalisa Di Palma, Andrea Fabbo, Federica Francescone, Carlo Gabelli, Sabina Gainotti, F. Galeotti, Giuseppe Gambina, Marina Gasparini, Maria Assunta Giannini, Micaela Gilli, M. Giordano, Annarita Greco, Antonio Guaita, Fabio Izzicupo, Fiammetta Landoni, Elisa Lidonnici, Nicoletta Locuratolo, Giancarlo Logroscino, Alessandra Lombardi, G Losito, Francesca Lubian, Maria Cristina Lupinetti, Sara Madrigali, Camillo Marra, Filippo Masera, Massimiliano Massaia, Antonio Mastromattei, Antonio Matera, M. Matera, Francesco Mazzoleni, Carla Melani, Serena Meloni, Elena Memeo, Marco Musso, Antonella Notarelli, Marco Onofrj, Ernesto Palummeri, Valeria Panetta, Carlo Petrini, Tommaso Piccoli, Alessandro Pirani, Stefano Piras, G Porro, Mario Possenti, Elena Rendina, A. Riolo, Luciana Riva, Emanuela Salvi, Sara Santini, Silvia Scalmana, Nando Scarpelli, Piero Secreto, Monica Seganfreddo, Stefano L. Sensi, Carla Severino, Patrizia Spadin, Patrizia Spallino, Anna Laura Spinelli, Andrea Stracciari, Marco Trabucchi, Nicola Vanacore, Antonio Zaccardi, Egidio Accardo, Omar Ahmad, Domenico Ajena, Giovanni Alba, Alberto Albanese, Andrea Albergati, Maria Alessandria, Pasquale Alfieri
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: A new national survey has been carried out by the Italian Centers for Cognitive Disorders and Dementias (CCDDs). The aim of this new national survey is to provide a comprehensive description of the characteristics, organizational aspects of the CCDDs, and experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: A list of all national CCDDs was requested from the delegates of each Italian region. The online questionnaire is divided in two main sections: a profile section, containing information on location and accessibility, and a data collection form covering organization, services, treatments, activities, and any service interruptions caused by the COVID-19 outbreak. RESULTS: In total, 511 out of 534 (96%) facilities completed the profile section, while 450 out of 534 (84%) CCDDs also completed the data collection form. Almost half of the CCDDs (55.1%) operated for 3 or fewer days a week. About one-third of the facilities had at least two professional figures among neurologists, geriatricians and psychiatrists. In 2020, only a third of facilities were open all the time, but in 2021, two-thirds of the facilities were open. CONCLUSION: This paper provides an update on the current status of CCDDs in Italy, which still shows considerable heterogeneity. The survey revealed a modest improvement in the functioning of CCDDs, although substantial efforts are still required to ensure the diagnosis and care of patients with dementia.