Chinese expert consensus on assessment of cognitive impairment in the elderly

Cognitive impairment is a term that refers to the impairment of one or more cognitive domains to varying degrees caused by a variety of reasons. It is under a high prevalence, many risk factors, complex etiology, and great harm to the elderly population. Early screening, diagnosis, and intervention for cognitive impairment in the elderly are of great importance. However, at present, the recognition rate of cognitive impairment for the elderly in China is low, the rate of missed diagnosis is high, and the evaluation is not standardized. This consensus integrates the commonly used cognitive function assessment scales in China and abroad, and aims to popularize the screening of cognitive impairment, standardize the evaluation methods and procedures of cognitive impairment in the elderly, and establish clinical diagnoses, interventions, and follow‐up plans in a timely manner. Following receiving informed consent, a medical record was made for each examinee who met the inclusion criteria. General information collection, medical history collection, physical examination, rapid cognitive screening, comprehensive cognitive evaluation, specific cognitive domain function assessment (optional), BPSD assessment and ADL assessment are all part of the assessment process, and individualized auxiliary examination items should be chosen depending on the findings of the medical history and physical examination. On this basis, the clinical diagnosis, interventions, and follow‐up plans should be developed.