EANS-News: CompuGroup Medical AG / Anyone can be affected

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Subtitle: Survey: Almost every physician is asked about Alzheimer's disease by
concerned patients.

Koblenz (euro adhoc) - December 17, 2010: To no longer be in control of your
mental faculties and to have the mental level of a toddler - a nightmarish
vision that is experienced by an increasing number of people. There´s a great
fear of becoming a victim of Alzheimer´s and patients are talking about it at
the doctor´s office. More than nine out of ten physicians (93%) are confronted
with this topic. If the diagnosis has been confirmed, most physicians are in
favor of comprehensive specialized care - 86.5% of those surveyed treat patients
jointly with a neurologist or psychiatrist.

The fear is in our heads
We are living longer than ever, in part with worrisome consequences. One
example is Alzheimer´s dementia, which is no longer a rare disorder. Most
people know by now that the risk elevates with advanced age and increasingly
more people experience memory losses. Physicians in particular are confronted
with this fear. Almost all of the physicians surveyed (93%) are asked about
Alzheimer´s by their patients and almost four out of ten physicians (39.1%)
experience frequent inquiries. Most physicians apparently hope to dispel fears
through information. Merely 5% fear the opposite effect. They don´t want to
talk about Alzheimer´s dementia until there are conclusive symptoms.

Crossword puzzles instead of pills
"A rolling stone gathers no moss "- a popular saying that also applies to
brain performance. There is scientific proof that you can train your memory and
that mental deterioration can be kept at bay to a certain extent. Many German
physicians take advantage of this knowledge to strengthen their patients`
mental health and cognitive performance. More than six out of ten family
physicians (60.5%) recommend specific memory exercises that can easily be
incorporated into everyday life. Many physicians prefer practical training
measures to the administration of medication. Less than one third (28.3%) of
those surveyed recommends medication such as psychopharmaceutical drugs as a
preventative strengthening of mental fitness.

When in doubt, let the tube check it out
The diagnosis of "Alzheimer´s disease" is difficult to cope with for patients
and their family, especially since the illness cannot be kept at bay over the
long term. For that reason, many physicians want to ensure that other causes
for the diminished memory performance have been ruled out: 42.3% of physicians
will initiate CT or MRI imaging for unclear cases, to obtain conclusive
information. Most physicians will rely on their medical experience if there are
obvious signs of Alzheimer´s dementia. Only 16.1% feel that it is necessary to
send all dementia patients through imaging.

Diagnosis specifications are criticized
While physicians are open to the topic of Alzheimer´s dementia, they are very
skeptical of the official ICD 10 criteria that are supposed to be a guide for
diagnosing dementia. Only one out of ten physicians surveyed (10%) considers
the stipulated examinations and tests to be relevant. Slightly more than one
third (34.5%) of physicians do utilize the criteria, but consider them to be
unnecessary and time-consuming. Nearly half of the physicians (46.8%) generally
prefer other tests to verify a suspected diagnosis.

Linked treatment is in demand
Almost all physicians agree - if the diagnosis of Alzheimer´s is confirmed, a
multi-faceted treatment approach will be necessary. Of the surveyed family
physicians, almost nine out of ten (86.5%) involve a neurologist or a
psychiatrist to ensure the best possible therapy. Only one in ten (10.7%) has
the confidence to treat Alzheimer`s patients and their family on their own.
These numbers confirm that Alzheimer´s disease also needs to be battled on all
fronts from a medical point of view.

About CompuGroup Medical AG
CompuGroup Medical is one of the leading e-health companies worldwide. Its
software products, designed to support all medical and organizational
activities in doctors´ offices and hospitals, its information services for all
parties involved in the healthcare system and its web-based personal health
records contribute towards safer and more efficient healthcare. The services of
CompuGroup Medical are based on its unique customer base of around 370,000
doctors, dentists, hospitals and networks as well as other service providers.
CompuGroup Medical is the e-health company with one of the biggest coverage
among e-health service providers worldwide. The company operates in 14 European
countries as well as in Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and in the USA and
currently employs around 3,100 people.

The CGM GesundheitsMONITOR:
The CGM GesundheitsMONITOR is a joint initiative of CompuGroup Medical, the
Medical Tribune and the Rhein-Zeitung. They perform representative monthly
surveys of 440 general practitioners with regard to current issues in the
healthcare system. You can download free printable graphs and find publications
as well as information about the representative survey at www.cgm-
gesundheitsmonitor.de.

Further inquiry note:
CompuGroup Medical AG
Barbara Müller
Consultant Press & Media
P +49 (0) 261 8000-1293
F +49 (0) 261 8000-3284
E-Mail: [email protected]
end of announcement euro adhoc
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company: CompuGroup Medical AG
Maria Trost 21
D-56070 Koblenz
phone: +49 (0) 261 8000-0
FAX: +49 (0) 261 8000-1166
mail: [email protected]
WWW: www.cgm.com
sector: Software
ISIN: DE0005437305
indexes:
stockmarkets: regulated dealing/prime standard: Frankfurt, free trade: Berlin,
Hamburg, Stuttgart, Düsseldorf, München
language: English

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