Last Updated on January 15, 2018
An online survey into health technology and dementia by AXA PPP Healthcare has revealed that more than three quarters (77%) of British adults (not currently diagnosed with dementia) would be willing to access emerging health technologies to detect early signs of dementia as part of regular health checks.
With an urgent need to develop new and accurate diagnostic methods to detect the causes of dementia, researchers across the world are exploring new technologies that could provide clues to the earliest stages of diseases like Alzheimer’s. The AXA Health Tech and You State of the Nation survey explored public attitudes to future health technology developments for the diagnosis of dementia.
When presented with a range of possible health technologies that may be able to help detect early signs of dementia in future, of those willing to access emerging technologies, 87% would be willing to use eye tests, and 72% would wear a device that tracks movement patterns in everyday life. By contrast, only 30% would be willing to undergo a spinal tap test to take a fluid sample with a needle into the base of the spine, despite this method currently being used in research studies to identify early markers of diseases like Alzheimer’s.
Dr Carol Routledge, Director of Research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said, 'Innovations in health technology that allow earlier and more accurate detection of diseases like Alzheimer’s could transform, not just speed up, dementia diagnosis and treatment.
'We desperately need new and better treatments for people with dementia but research so far suggests that future treatments will be most beneficial when given at the early stages of the diseases that cause dementia. Advances in diagnosis must accelerate at the same pace as the search for new dementia treatments.
'The barriers to diagnosis aren’t just technical and this survey shows that new technologies could drive changes in people’s attitudes towards visiting their doctor, or encouraging a loved one to, if they notice changes in their memory and thinking skills.'
With the willingness of the British population to adopt health technologies to detect early signs of dementia and with over half (54%) of adults surveyed feeling there was a delay between their experiencing symptoms and receiving a dementia diagnosis, it suggests health technology could help bridge this gap.
The survey also shows that, of those who knew someone with dementia and felt that there was a delay in the diagnosis, the main reason for the delay was because the early signs were too gradual to notice (50% agreeing with this). The second highest (45%) was that the person experiencing the symptoms was reluctant to go a doctor. If health technology had been available to accurately detect the signs of dementia, almost half (48%) felt they would have encouraged this person to visit a doctor at an earlier stage.
Attitudes of young people towards emerging health technologies means that future generations may be much more open to new diagnostic technologies than people aged 55 and over today.
Over a third (35%) of people aged 18 to 24 are concerned about their own likelihood of developing dementia, showing an early awareness of the condition. Over half (56%) of young people in this age group are also concerned about people close to them developing the condition.
When it comes to using and relying on health technology in day-to-day life to help identify early symptoms of dementia without the guidance of a GP, the 18 to 24 age group is nearly twice as likely to do so compared to people who are 55 years of age and over: (21% vs 11%).