Browsing by Author "Willis, Deanna R."
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Item Agile Implementation of a Digital Cognitive Assessment for Dementia in Primary Care(Annals of Family Medicine, 2025-05-27) Summanwar, Diana; Fowler, Nicole R.; Hammers, Dustin B.; Perkins, Anthony J.; Brosch, Jared R.; Willis, Deanna R.; Family Medicine, School of MedicinePurpose: This study aimed to assess how agile implementation-driven iterative processes and tailored workflows can facilitate the implementation of a digital cognitive assessment (DCA) tool for patients aged 65 years or older into primary care practices. Methods: We used agile implementation principles to integrate a DCA tool into routine workflows across 7 primary care clinics. The intervention involved a structured selection process for identifying an appropriate DCA tool, stakeholder engagement through iterative sprints (structured, time-bound cycles), and development of tailored workflows to meet clinic-specific needs. A brain health navigator role was established to support patients with positive or borderline screenings, and assist primary care clinicians with follow-up assessment. We used the reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance (RE-AIM) framework to evaluate the intervention's performance over a 12-month period. Results: The intervention engaged 69 (63.8%) of 108 clinicians across the 7 clinics. DCA screening was completed in 1,808 (10.8%) of 16,708 eligible visits. We selected the Linus Health Core Cognitive Evaluation tool as our DCA tool based on stakeholder evaluations. Screening workflows were tailored to each clinic. The brain health navigator received 447 referrals for further assessment of a positive or borderline screening result. Four clinics fully adopted the intervention, achieving a DCA completion rate of at least 20%, and 5 clinics were still routinely using the DCA tool at 12 months. Conclusions: Agile implementation effectively helped integrate the DCA tool into primary care workflows. Customized workflows, stakeholder engagement, and iterative improvements were crucial for adoption and sustainability. These insights can guide future efforts for early detection and management of cognitive impairment in primary care, ultimately improving patient outcomes and easing the burden on health care professionals.Item Clinician Attitudes and Confidence on the Detection and Management of Cognitive Impairment: Results from the Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative Early Detection Program(Wiley, 2025-01-09) Barkman Ferrell, Phyllis; Murray, James F.; Ball, Daniel E.; dos Santos Filho, Otelo Corrêa; de Sá Paiva Lima, Marcilea Dias; Govia, Ishtar; Robinson, Janelle; Kowa, Hisatomo; López-Ortega, Mariana; McKean, Alison; Chambers, Wendy; Baksh, Magda R.; Baldivieso, Valeria; Willis, Deanna R.; Fowler, Nicole R.; Selzler, Katherine J.; Medicine, School of MedicineBackground: Early symptoms of cognitive impairment are frequently undetected. The Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative System Preparedness (DAC‐SP) Early Detection program implemented a digital cognitive assessment (DCA) in primary care and other non‐specialty settings to increase the rate of detection of cognitive impairment. Methods: The DAC‐SP Early Detection program was initiated in 2021 in seven healthcare systems across six countries. Clinicians were trained on a DCA, including positive tests for cognitive impairment and diagnostic assessment. Prior to training or naïve to implementing a DCA in clinical practice, clinicians’ attitudes and confidence in diagnosis and managing dementia were assessed using the validated General Practitioners Attitude and Confidence Scale for Dementia (GPACS‐D), which is comprised of 15 items in three subscales: Confidence in Clinical Abilities, Attitude towards Care, and Engagement. Each item is measured on a 5‐point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree; 5 = strongly agree), and subscale scores are standardized. A total of 265 pre‐training surveys were completed across the 7 sites. The GPACS‐D results were calculated by averaging individual physician results per the validated scoring algorithm. The cross‐site results were calculated by taking an equally weighted average across the seven sites. Results: The GPACS‐D results across the seven sites are presented in Table 1. Across all sites, baseline attitude towards care was the highest of the three subscales. For most sites, confidence in clinical abilities received the lowest scores, with engagement scores only modestly higher. The total and subscale scores were consistent across sites, supported by the relatively low standard deviation. Conclusion: The findings from the GPACS‐D total and subscale scores suggest that prior to receiving training on using a digital cognitive assessment for their patient populations, clinicians’ attitudes towards the diagnosis and management of cognitive impairment were similar across the seven sites, and independent of the country in which they practice. Despite positive attitudes toward care, the results suggest that education or training focused more on engagement and confidence may improve early detection and care of patients with cognitive impairment, particularly as new diagnostic and therapeutic options emerge.Item Computer-tailored intervention increases colorectal cancer screening among low-income African Americans in primary care: Results of a randomized trial(Elsevier, 2021) Rawl, Susan M.; Christy, Shannon M.; Perkins, Susan M.; Tong, Yan; Krier, Connie; Wang, Hsiao-Lan; Huang, Amelia M.; Laury, Esther; Rhyant, Broderick; Lloyd, Frank; Willis, Deanna R.; Imperiale, Thomas F.; Myers, Laura J.; Springston, Jeffrey; Sugg Skinner, Celette; Champion, Victoria L.; School of NursingIntroduction: Although African Americans have the highest colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence and mortality rates of any racial group, their screening rates remain low. Study design/purpose: This randomized controlled trial compared efficacy of two clinic-based interventions for increasing CRC screening among African American primary care patients. Methods: African American patients from 11 clinics who were not current with CRC screening were randomized to receive a computer-tailored intervention (n = 335) or a non-tailored brochure (n = 358) designed to promote adherence to CRC screening. Interventions were delivered in clinic immediately prior to a provider visit. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression models analyzed predictors of screening test completion. Moderators and mediators were determined using multivariable linear and logistic regression analyses. Results: Significant effects of the computer-tailored intervention were observed for completion of a stool blood test (SBT) and completion of any CRC screening test (SBT or colonoscopy). The colonoscopy screening rate was higher among those receiving the computer-tailored intervention group compared to the nontailored brochure but the difference was not significant. Predictors of SBT completion were: receipt of the computer-tailored intervention; being seen at a Veterans Affairs Medical Center clinic; baseline stage of adoption; and reason for visit. Mediators of intervention effects were changes in perceived SBT barriers, changes in perceived colonoscopy benefits, changes in CRC knowledge, and patient-provider discussion. Moderators of intervention effects were age, employment, and family/friend recommendation of screening. Conclusion: This one-time computer-tailored intervention significantly improved CRC screening rates among low-income African American patients. This finding was largely driven by increasing SBT but the impact of the intervention on colonoscopy screening was strong. Implementation of a CRC screening quality improvement program in the VA site that included provision of stool blood test kits and follow-up likely contributed to the strong intervention effect observed at that site.Item Effect of Advanced Access Scheduling on Processes and Intermediate Outcomes of Diabetes Care and Utilization(2009-03) Subramanian, Usha; Ackermann, Ronald T.; Brizendine, Edward J.; Saha, Chandan; Rosenman, Marc B.; Willis, Deanna R.; Marrero, David G.BACKGROUND The impact of open access (OA) scheduling on chronic disease care and outcomes has not been studied. OBJECTIVE To assess the effect of OA implementation at 1 year on: (1) diabetes care processes (testing for A1c, LDL, and urine microalbumin), (2) intermediate outcomes of diabetes care (SBP, A1c, and LDL level), and (3) health-care utilization (ED visits, hospitalization, and outpatient visits). METHODS We used a retrospective cohort study design to compare process and outcomes for 4,060 continuously enrolled adult patients with diabetes from six OA clinics and six control clinics. Using a generalized linear model framework, data were modeled with linear regression for continuous, logistic regression for dichotomous, and Poisson regression for utilization outcomes. RESULTS Patients in the OA clinics were older, with a higher percentage being African American (51% vs 34%) and on insulin. In multivariate analyses, for A1c testing, the odds ratio for African-American patients in OA clinics was 0.47 (CI: 0.29-0.77), compared to non-African Americans [OR 0.27 (CI: 0.21-0.36)]. For urine microablumin, the odds ratio for non-African Americans in OA clinics was 0.37 (CI: 0.17-0.81). At 1 year, in adjusted analyses, patients in OA clinics had significantly higher SBP (mean 6.4 mmHg, 95% CI 5.4 – 7.5). There were no differences by clinic type in any of the three health-care utilization outcomes. CONCLUSION OA scheduling was associated with worse processes of care and SBP at 1 year. OA clinic scheduling should be examined more critically in larger systems of care, multiple health-care settings, and/or in a randomized controlled trial.Item Feasibility and Acceptability of Implementing a Digital Cognitive Assessment for Alzheimer Disease and Related Dementias in Primary Care(Annals of Family Medicine, 2025-05-27) Fowler, Nicole R.; Hammers, Dustin B.; Perkins, Anthony J.; Summanwar, Diana; Higbie, Anna; Swartzell, Kristen; Brosch, Jared R.; Willis, Deanna R.; Medicine, School of MedicinePurpose: We assessed the feasibility and acceptability of implementing a digital cognitive assessment (DCA) for Alzheimer disease and related dementias (ADRD) screening into primary care. We also assessed the prevalence of positive screens and measured diagnostic and care outcomes after a positive DCA result. Methods: We conducted a single-arm pragmatic clinical demonstration project in 7 diverse primary care clinics to test implementation of the Linus Health Core Cognitive Evaluation and Digital Clock and Recall DCAs (Linus Health, Inc). Eligible patients were aged ≥65 years. Patients were ineligible if unable to see or hear, not English or Spanish speaking, or if they had a DCA in the past 12 months with an unimpaired or impaired result. Results: There were 16,708 eligible encounters during the 12-month study period (June 2022-May 2023). A total of 1,808 DCAs (10.8%) were completed by 1,722 unique patients; 3,727 (22.3%) declined, and at 9,232 encounters (55.3%) the physicians declined to have the patient complete the DCA or the encounter was deemed out of scope. Among those who completed DCAs, results for 762 (44.3%) were categorized as unimpaired, 628 (36.5%) borderline, 236 (13.7%) impaired, and 96 (5.6%) inconclusive. Among the 236 patients who were categorized as impaired, 2.1% received a new diagnosis of ADRD, and 5.1% received a new diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment within 90 days after the DCA. Conclusions: One-half of all patients scored impaired or borderline for cognitive impairment. Digital cognitive assessments can be implemented in primary care, have utility for early detection, and could represent the first step in identification of patients who could benefit from ADRD disease-modifying therapeutics, care management, or other interventions to improve patient and family caregiver outcomes.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 Optimizing primary care for cognitive impairment screening using agile implementation(Wiley, 2025-01-09) Summanwar, Diana; Brosch, Jared R.; Hammers, Dustin B.; Fowler, Nicole R.; Willis, Deanna R.; Medicine, School of MedicineBackground: Screening for cognitive impairment in primary care faces challenges, including time constraints, provider apprehension, and limited diagnostic confidence. An effective initiative for improving screening must include strategies to foster behavioral change, and active provider engagement. Agile implementation science integrates findings from behavioral economics, complexity science, and network science, to address these challenges by confirming the demand to solve the problem; local solution adaptation; and the iterative ‘sprints’, or tests of change, that are focused on execution. This study, which is part of the Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative (DAC) Early Detection Health System Preparedness Flagship program, explored workflows to support Digital Cognitive Assessment (DCA) in primary care, enhancing early detection of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia. Methods: Between June 1, 2022, and May 31, 2023, seven diverse primary care clinics participated in the DAC program. The initiative’s core was the integration of offering and performing Linus Health Core Cognitive Evaluation Digital Cognitive Assessment (DCA) for patients aged 65 and above. The selection of the digital screening tool, process workflows, and improvement cycles were co‐designed by the primary care providers, clinic staff, the Patient Advisory Council, and the implementation team using Agile Implementation. A Brain Health Navigator (BHN) role was designed to fill workflow gaps in primary care evaluation of abnormal screening and facilitate specialty care transition for patients needing referral. Results: Among the seven sites, five sites engaged in agile implementation and had similar performances, with an increase in DCA completion observed. A total of 1808 DCA screenings were performed on 1722 unique patients. The agile implementation process facilitated clinic‐specific adaptations, which resulted in an increase in the overall number of eligible patients completing the DCA screening. Conclusions: The adoption of an agile implementation process increased DCA screening uptake in primary care settings. The integration of a BHN and streamlined workflows proved crucial in enhancing the screening, diagnosis, and referral journey. This integration aligns with the principles of person‐centered care and facilitates service coordination. It also supports workforce initiatives and advances the field of health services research, ensuring that each step in the patient’s journey is both effective and efficient.Item Primary Care Appointment Systems: Causes and Implications of Timely Arrivals(TECSI, 2022) Alibeiki, Hedayat; Kumar, Chetan; Ballard, Jim; Willis, Deanna R.; Given, Scott; Taylor, Jennifer; Family Medicine, School of MedicineThe primary goal of this study was to identify potential factors that might contribute to patient punctuality issues, while also assessing the satisfaction of a proposed intervention. In addition, we aimed to learn more about the psychosocial and behavioral implications that patients face with regards to arriving on time for their primary care visits. A mixed-method research study was used to identify and quantify potential factors that might contribute to patient punctuality issues, while also assessing the satisfaction of a proposed intervention. In addition to possible factors that contribute to punctuality, we aimed to learn more about how patients are affected when they arrive late for appointments. Through qualitative assessment, we explored the psychosocial and behavioral implications that patients face with regards to arriving on time for their primary care appointments. A total of 524 individuals out of 1050 patients (50%) responded to the paper-based survey. Of the 524 adult respondents, we excluded 103 (19.7%) participants due to the missing data on either of their historical behavior patterns, future intentions for arrival, or their definition of appointment time. We analyzed the data for the remaining 421 eligible survey participants. In addition, seven of the eight patient interviews were transcribed and analyzed in order to identify themes using the patient’s own words to better understand the psychosocial and behavioral implications patients face on arriving to their appointment on time. Three primary themes emerge in the interviews related to the perception of arriving late to appointments at the FMC. The findings of this study indicate that regardless of patients’ interpretation of appointment time, they typically arrive 10-15 minutes before the appointment time. In addition, there is a significant connection between patients’ perceptions of historically arriving late to appointments and the intent to arrive very early to their future appointments. Combined with the qualitative results, this study suggests that most patients are motivated to be on time, in some cases seeing the idea of lateness as a contradiction of their own self-identity. The behavioral causes and implications of the findings are explained using the concept of Fear Appeals and the Protection Motivation Theory (PMT).Item Primary Care Appointment Systems: Causes and Implications of Timely Arrivals(Journal of Information Systems and Technology Management, 2021-07-12) Alibeiki, Hedayat; Kumar, Chetan; Ballard, Jim; Willis, Deanna R.; Medicine, School of MedicineABSTRACT The primary goal of this study was to identify potential factors that might contribute to patient punctuality issues, while also assessing the satisfaction of a proposed intervention. In addition, we aimed to learn more about the psychosocial and behavioral implications that patients face with regards to arriving on time for their primary care visits. A mixed-method research study was used to identify and quantify potential factors that might contribute to patient punctuality issues, while also assessing the satisfaction of a proposed intervention. In addition to possible factors that contribute to punctuality, we aimed to learn more about how patients are affected when they arrive late for appointments. Through qualitative assessment, we explored the psychosocial and behavioral implications that patients face with regards to arriving on time for their primary care appointments. A total of 524 individuals out of 1050 patients (50%) responded to the paper-based survey. Of the 524 adult respondents, we excluded 103 (19.7%) participants due to the missing data on either of their historical behavior patterns, future intentions for arrival, or their definition of appointment time. We analyzed the data for the remaining 421 eligible survey participants. In addition, seven of the eight patient interviews were transcribed and analyzed in order to identify themes using the patient’s own words to better understand the psychosocial and behavioral implications patients face on arriving to their appointment on time. Three primary themes emerge in the interviews related to the perception of arriving late to appointments at the FMC. The findings of this study indicate that regardless of patients’ interpretation of appointment time, they typically arrive 10-15 minutes before the appointment time. In addition, there is a significant connection between patients’ perceptions of historically arriving late to appointments and the intent to arrive very early to their future appointments. Combined with the qualitative results, this study suggests that most patients are motivated to be on time, in some cases seeing the idea of lateness as a contradiction of their own self-identity. The behavioral causes and implications of the findings are explained using the concept of Fear Appeals and the Protection Motivation Theory (PMT).Item Real world implementation of blood biomarkers in primary care(Wiley, 2025-01-09) Willis, Deanna R.; Brosch, Jared R.; Fowler, Nicole R.; Hammers, Dustin B.; Summanwar, Diana; Medicine, School of MedicinePrimary Care (PC) clinicians are faced with numerous competing demands and priorities for maximizing patient care. These challenges make the implementation of strategies for early detection of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) complex. Few real‐world implementation projects about early detection of AD in PC exist. From 2022‐2023 the Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative (DAC) Health System Preparedness Flagship project included seven United States academic affiliated PC clinics. We implemented digital cognitive assessments using the Linus Health Core Cognitive Evaluation at routine PC encounters. Patients who failed the cognitive assessment were offered, as part of a research pilot, C2N Diagnostics’ blood biomarker (BBM) test, PrecivityAD, with results disclosure. PCPs were approached to receive education about BBM for AD and to consent to deliver results themselves or defer delivery to the research team. Of the patients approached for BBM, more than half declined. Providers were split on their willingness to deliver results. For patients whose provider did not elect to deliver results or who was unable to deliver results in the timeframe needed, a trained Registered Nurse was trained and observed to disclose results. This session will share perspectives on these real‐life facilitators and barriers to implementing cognitive screening and BBM in PC and how more fully engaging the whole primary care team may help mitigate some of these barriers.