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Combining Geospatial Analysis with Dementia Risk Utilising General Practice Data: A Systematic Review

The Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease volume 5, pages 71–77 (2018)Cite this article

Abstract

Geographical information systems (GIS) and geospatial analysis techniques will help to identify significant dementia risk clusters (hotspots) across communities and will enable policy makers to target prevention interventions to the right place. This review synthesises the published literature on geospatial analysis techniques for quantifying and mapping dementia risk, and reviews available dementia risk assessment tools. A systematic literature review was undertaken in four medical and life sciences databases (PubMed, Cochrane Central, Embase, and Web of Sciences) from their inception to March 2017 for all articles relating to dementia. The search terms included: ‘dementia’, ‘Alzheimer’s disease’, ‘general practice database’, ‘family physician’, ‘AD risk assessment tools’, ‘Geographical Information Systems’ and ‘geospatial analysis’, ‘geographical variation’ and ‘spatial variation’. To date, most geospatial studies on dementia have been carried out retrospectively using population based data. An alternative approach is utilisation of a rich source of general practice (family physician) databases to predict dementia risk based on available dementia risk assessment tools. In conclusion, the estimated risks of dementia can thus be geo-attributed and mapped at a small scale using geographical information systems and geospatial analysis techniques to identify dementia risk clusters across the communities and refine our understanding of the interaction between socio-demographic and environmental factors, and dementia risk clusters.

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Author information

Affiliations

  1. Research School of Population Health, College of Health and Medicine, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia

    Nasser Bagheri, K. Wangdi, N. Cherbuin & K. J. Anstey

  2. Building 63, Mills Road, Acton, ACT, 2601, Australia

    Nasser Bagheri

Authors
  1. Nasser Bagheri
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  2. K. Wangdi
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  3. N. Cherbuin
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  4. K. J. Anstey
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Correspondence to Nasser Bagheri.

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Bagheri, N., Wangdi, K., Cherbuin, N. et al. Combining Geospatial Analysis with Dementia Risk Utilising General Practice Data: A Systematic Review. J Prev Alzheimers Dis 5, 71–77 (2018). https://doi.org/10.14283/jpad.2017.33

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.14283/jpad.2017.33

Key words

  • Dementia risk assessment
  • geospatial analysis
  • hotspots
  • general practice data
  • spatial analysis