Browsing by Author "MacLeod, Tim"
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Item Effects of the Davos Alzheimer's Collaborative early detection of cognitive impairment program on clinician attitudes, engagement, and confidence(Elsevier, 2025) Ozawa, Tabasa; Selzler, Katherine J.; Ball, Daniel E.; Deckert, Amy; MacLeod, Tim; dos Santos Filho, Otelo Corrêa; Govia, Ishtar; Robinson, Janelle N.; Kowa, Hisatomo; Lopez-Ortega, Mariana; McKean, Alison; Chambers, Wendy; Smith, Steven R.; Baksh, Magda; Willis, Deanna R.; Fowler, Nicole R.; Mattke, Soeren; The DAC Consortium; Family Medicine, School of MedicineBackground: The number of people with dementia is expected to grow substantially across the world due to population aging, but cognitive impairment remains undetected and undiagnosed, especially in early stages. Newly available diagnostic tools such as digital cognitive assessments and blood biomarker tests may be well suited to increase the rates of early detection of dementia in primary care. Objectives: The objective of the Davos Alzheimer's Collaborative Healthcare System Preparedness (DAC-SP) Early Detection Flagship Program was to improve the rate of early detection of cognitive impairment in primary care and non-specialty settings. We aimed to understand the program's impact on clinician attitudes, engagement, and confidence in diagnosing and managing cognitive impairment. Design: Survey of participating healthcare professionals before and after the intervention. Setting: The DAC Healthcare System Preparedness Early Detection Flagship Program was implemented in seven sites across six countries: Brazil, Jamaica, Japan, Mexico, Scotland, and the United States (2 sites). Participants: 110 healthcare professionals, including, primary care physicians, specialists (neurologists and psychologists), nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, social workers, and healthcare support workers completed the pre-intervention survey. 68 healthcare professionals completed the post-intervention survey. Intervention: Participating sites implemented a digital cognitive assessment tool and a blood biomarker test for the Alzheimer's pathology and were trained in the administration of the digital cognitive assessment tool. The intervention was adapted to each site for cultural relevance and operational feasibility. Measurements: Participants completed the General Practitioners Attitude and Confidence Scale for Dementia (GPACS-D), a 15-item scale with three subscales: Attitude to Care (six items), Confidence in Clinical Abilities (six items), and Engagement (three items). In addition to the subscale scores, the total GPACS-D score was reported. Results: Across all sites, there was a significant increase in the Confidence in Clinical Abilities score from 2.98 (SD = 0.77) pre-intervention to 3.27 (SD = 0.72) post-intervention (p = 0.01), and in the total GPACS-D score from 3.48 (SD = 0.48) to 3.65 (SD = 0.39) (p = 0.01). There were non-significant increases in the Attitude to Care and Engagement scores across all sites. Conclusions: The implementation of digital cognitive assessment tools and a blood biomarker test was associated with an increase in healthcare professionals' confidence in diagnosing and managing patients with cognitive impairment in primary care and non-specialty settings. Digital cognitive assessments and blood biomarker tests are promising tools that could be utilized in primary care to increase clinicians' confidence in detecting dementia and lead to timely clinical evaluation, treatment, and referral to supportive resources.Item Implementing Digital Cognitive Assessments to Detect Cognitive Impairment: Results from the Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative Early Detection Program(Wiley, 2025-01-09) MacLeod, Tim; Murray, James F.; dos Santos Filho, Otelo Corrêa; de Sá Paiva Lima, Marcilea Dias; Govia, Ishtar; Robinson, Janelle; Kowa, Hisatomo; Morimoto, Kohei; López-Ortega, Mariana; McKean, Alison; Ritchie, Craig; Baksh, Magda R.; Smith, Steven R.; Willis, Deanna R.; Brosch, Jared R.; Small, Seamus; Martin, Tammy; Selzler, Katherine J.; Medicine, School of MedicineBackground: Cognitive impairment is frequently undetected or undiagnosed in the early stages. To increase the rates of detecting cognitive impairment, the Early Detection program of the Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative System Preparedness (DAC‐SP) implemented digital cognitive assessments (DCA) in primary care and other non‐specialty settings. Methods: The DAC‐SP Early Detection program was initiated in 2021 in seven healthcare systems across six countries. Sites were able to choose from several DCAs, and clinicians were provided training, including recognizing signs and symptoms of cognitive decline, and provided with post‐diagnostic support. Patients were eligible for a DCA if they were over 60 years of age, able to hear and see well enough to complete the assessments, and had no prior diagnosis of dementia. The DCA tools included Linus Health’s Core Cognitive Evaluation, Cogstate Cognigram, and Cogstate Brief Battery. Results: The DCA results across the seven sites are presented in Table 1. There was notable variability in the number of patients screened across sites, which could be attributed to multiple factors (i.e., number of clinics onboarded/trained, additional testing for language and culture appropriateness of DCA tool prior to deployment, reduction in the number of elderly people visiting clinics during the COVID‐19 pandemic, available time of clinicians, etc.). The rate of cognitive impairment (abnormal and borderline) was also numerically higher at sites outside the US, independent of the DCA tool used. However, this study was not designed to evaluate operating characteristics of DCA tools, so further research is needed. Approximately 60% of the patients in the DAC‐SP Early Detection program tested abnormal or borderline for cognitive issues, suggesting the need for additional clinical assessment and follow‐up. Conclusion: Findings from the DAC‐SP Early Detection program demonstrated a DCA can be implemented in existing patient care workflows, including primary care settings, and across healthcare systems globally with different resource settings. Adoption of DCAs in clinical practice can help improve the ability to detect symptoms of cognitive impairment and provide much needed earlier screening and care for patients and their families.Item Implementing early detection of cognitive impairment in primary care to improve care for older adults(Wiley, 2025) Fowler, Nicole R.; Partrick, Katherine A.; Taylor, James; Hornbecker, Michael; Kelleher, Kevin; Boustani, Malaz; Cummings, Jeffrey L.; MacLeod, Tim; Mielke, Michelle M.; Brosch, Jared R.; Lee, Janice; Shobin, Eli; Galvin, James E.; Fillit, Howard; Udeh-Momoh, Chinedu; Willis, Deanna R.; Medicine, School of MedicinePrimary care is the ideal setting for early detection of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD), as it serves as the primary point of care for most older adults. With the growing aging population, reliance on specialists for detection and diagnosis is unsustainable, highlighting the need for primary care-led assessment. Recent research findings on successful brain health prevention strategies, AD diagnostic tools, and anti-amyloid treatments empower primary care to play a central role in early detection and intervention. Primary care-focused resources are being developed, including tools for cognitive assessments and materials designed to educate patients about brain health and initiate discussions on lifestyle modifications, thereby making early detection more feasible and efficient. Identifying risk factors early enables providers to implement interventions that can slow cognitive decline and improve outcomes for patients and caregivers. If left undetected and unmanaged, MCI and ADRD can lead to worse outcomes, including increased falls, hospitalizations, financial vulnerability, and caregiver stress. Early detection enables the identification of reversible causes of cognitive impairment, supports the management of comorbidities worsened by cognitive decline, mitigates safety risks, and can preserve quality of life. Importantly, primary care is essential for addressing ADRD-related health disparities that disproportionately affect racial minorities, rural populations, and those of lower socioeconomic status. With a focus on the United States healthcare system, this perspective addresses how implementing early detection practices into primary care can improve outcomes for patients and caregivers, reduce societal burdens, and promote health equity in ADRD care.