Factors Associated With Increased Health Care Utilization for Patients With Dementia With Lewy Bodies: A Narrative Review

Numerous studies have demonstrated that dementia is associated with increased utilization of health care services, which in turn results in increased costs of care. Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is associated with greater costs of care relative to other forms of dementia due to higher rates of hospitalization and nursing home placement directly related to neuropsychiatric symptoms, parkinsonism, increased susceptibility to delirium, and elevated rates of caregiver burden. There is a critical need for researchers to identify potentially modifiable factors contributing to increased costs of care and poor clinical outcomes for patients with DLB, which may include comorbidities, polypharmacy/contraindicated medications, and access to specialty care. Previous research has utilized Medicare claims data, limiting the ability to study patients with early-onset (ie, prior to age 65) DLB. Integrated health systems offer the ability to combine electronic medical record data with Medicare, Medicaid, and commercial claims data and may therefore be ideal for utilization research in this population. The goals of this narrative review are to 1) synthesize and describe the current literature on health care utilization studies for patients with DLB, 2) highlight the current gaps in the literature, and 3) provide recommendations for stakeholders, including researchers, health systems, and policymakers. It is important to improve current understanding of potentially modifiable factors associated with increased costs of care among patients with DLB to inform public health policies and clinical decision-making, as this will ultimately improve the quality of patient care.