How physicians evaluate patients with dementia who present with shortness of breath.

Clinical factors known to be predictive of PE risk had a lower association with PE testing for patients with dementia compared to patients without dementia. These results may be consistent with physicians missing these clinical factors more often when evaluating patients with dementia, but also with physicians recognizing such factors but not using them in the decision-making process. Further understanding how physicians evaluate patients with dementia presenting with common acute symptoms may help improve the care delivered to such patients.