Table 2. Most highly weighted features over time for Alzheimer’s disease.
| Year -5 | Year -4 | Year -3 | Year -2 | Year -1 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GP Home Visit (0.053) |
Memory loss codes
(0.057) |
Memory loss codes
(0.080) |
Memory loss codes (0.128) | Memory loss codes (0.309) |
| 2 | Is a smoker (0.049) | GP Home visit (0.050) | GP Home visit (0.044) | GP Home visit (0.041) |
Referral to Psychiatrist
Neurologist or Geriatrician (0.080) |
| 3 | Infections (0.044) | Infections (0.046) |
Visit to Emergency
Dept (0.042) |
Visit to Emergency Dept
(0.036) |
Cognitive Screening
(MMSE) (0.052) |
| 4 |
Visit to Emergency
Dept (0.043) |
Visit to Emergency
Dept (0.042) |
Infections (0.038) |
Dressing of wound, burns
or ulcer (0.035) |
Referral to memory
assessment service (0.030) |
| 5 |
Dressing of wounds,
burns or ulcer (0.038) |
Is a smoker (0.041) |
Dressing of wound,
burns or ulcer (0.036) |
Is a smoker (0.034) | Antidepressants (0.021) |
| 6 | Antipsychotics (0.038) | Antipsychotics (0.038) |
Hospital admission
(0.036) |
Infections (0.033) |
Alzheimer-specific
medication (0.021) |
| 7 |
Memory Loss Codes
(0.036) |
Dressing of wounds,
burns or ulcer (0.035) |
Is a smoker (0.032) | Hospital admission (0.032) |
Visit to Emergency Dept
(0.019) |
| 8 |
Hospital Admission
(0.034) |
Hospital admission
(0.033) |
Antipsychotics
(0.035) |
Antipsychotics (0.032) | Did not attend (0.019) |
| 9 |
Antidepressants
(0.033) |
Deafness (0.030) |
Urinary Tract Infection
(0.033) |
Deafness (0.029) | Infections (0.018) |
| 10 |
Urinary tract infection
(0.031) |
Chronic kidney disease
(0.030) |
Deafness (0.030) |
Urinary tract infection
(0.028) |
Hospital Admission (0.018) |
| 11 | Did not attend (0.031) | Did not attend (0.029) |
Chronic Kidney
Disease (0.027) |
Did not attend (0.026) | GP home visit (0.017) |
| 12 |
Z-drugs (for insomnia)
(0.028) |
Urinary Tract Infection
(0.027) |
Did not attend (0.027) |
Chronic kidney disease
(0.026) |
Is a smoker (0.017) |
| 13 | Deafness (0.027) | Constipation (0.026) | Hypertension (0.025) | Constipation (0.024) | Cognitive Decline (0.017) |
| 14 |
Chronic Kidney
Disease (0.025) |
Antidepressants
(0.024) |
Falls (0.023) | Hypertension (0.023) |
Urinary Tract Infection
(0.017) |
| 15 | Constipation (0.024) | Hypertension (0.023) | Constipation (0.022) | Antidepressants (0.022) |
Dressing of wound, burn or
ulcer (0.016) |
Key: Red – long standing condition or risk factor; Orange – could be associated with increasing frailty or prodromal dementia symptoms; Green – GP 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).