Table 1. Most highly weighted features over time (all cause dementia).
| Year -5 | Year -4 | Year -3 | Year -2 | Year -1 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Infection (0.049) |
Memory loss codes
(0.052) |
Memory loss codes
(0.071) |
Memory loss codes
(0.104) |
Memory loss codes (0.223) |
| 2 | Is a smoker (0.044) | Infections (0.046) | Is a smoker (0.041) | Is a smoker (0.037) |
Referral to Psychiatrist
Neurologist or Geriatrician (0.063) |
| 3 |
Antidepressants
(0.041) |
Is a smoker (0.043) | Infections (0.039) |
Dressing of Wound
Burn or Ulcer (0.035) |
Cognitive Screening
(MMSE) (0.040) |
| 4 |
Memory loss codes
(0.038) |
Visit to Emergency
Dept (0.037) |
Dressing of wound, burn
or ulcer (0.038) |
Hospital admission
(0.035) |
Antidepressants (0.025) |
| 5 | GP home visit (0.035) |
Hospital admission
(0.037) |
Hospital admission (0.036) | Infection (0.034) | Did not attend code (0.023) |
| 6 |
Dressing of wounds,
burns or ulcer (0.035) |
Dressing of wounds,
burns or ulcer (0.035) |
Urinary tract infection
(0.034) |
Visit to emergency
dept (0.033) |
Infections (0.023) |
| 7 |
Hospital admission
(0.035) |
Urinary Tract Infection
(0.034) |
Antipsychotics (0.032) |
Urinary tract infection
(0.031) |
Is a smoker (0.023) |
| 8 |
Urinary Tract Infection
(0.034) |
Deafness (0.030) | Deafness (0.031) | Antipsychotics (0.030) | Hospital admission (0.022) |
| 9 |
Visit to Emergency
Dept (0.032) |
GP Home visit (0.029) |
Visit to Emergency Dept
(0.030) |
Deafness (0.030) |
Visit to emergency dept
(0.022) |
| 10 |
Coronary Heart
Disease (0.028) |
Chronic kidney disease
(0.028) |
Chronic Kidney Disease
(0.029) |
Chronic Kidney
disease (0.028) |
GP Home visit (0.022) |
| 11 | Hypertension (0.028) |
Antidepressants
(0.028) |
Hypertension (0.029) | GP Home Visit (0.026) |
Urinary Tract infection
(0.020) |
| 12 | Did not attend (0.026) | Antipsychotics (0.027) | GP Home visit (0.028) | Antidepressant (0.025) |
Dressing of wound burn or
ulcer (0.020) |
| 13 | Antipsychotics (0.026) | Hypertension (0.027) |
Coronary Heart Disease
(0.026) |
Hypertension (0.024) |
Referral to memory
assessment service (0.020) |
| 14 |
Z-drugs (for insomnia)
(0.025) |
Did not attend (0.027) | Did not attend (0.024) | Did not attend (0.022) | Constipation (0.020) |
| 15 | Deafness (0.024) |
Coronary heart disease
(0.026) |
Constipation (0.022) |
Coronary heart
disease (0.021) |
Had a fall (0.019) |
Key: Red – long standing condition or risk factor; Orange – could be associated with increasing frailty or prodromal dementia symptoms; Green – General Practitioner has detected dementia symptoms.
Values for each predictor represent its relative contribution to the model compared to all other predictors (with all predictors together summing to 1.0, and a larger value being assigned to more important predictors; 77 predictors were included).