Strategies Needed to Improve Delivery of Alzheimer Disease-Modifying Therapies
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
TUESDAY, Jan. 30, 2024 -- Strategies are needed to improve the delivery of Alzheimer disease (AD) disease-modifying therapies (DMTs), according to a report published online Jan. 30 by the RAND Corporation.
Jodi L. Liu, Ph.D., from the RAND Corporation in Santa Monica, California, and colleagues used a simulation model to examine how primary care capacity for early detection impacts the delivery of AD DMTs, taking into account geographic variation in patient populations and health system capacities.
The researchers note that across the United States, there is considerable variation in health care system capacity to detect, diagnose, and treat early-stage AD with DMTs. Estimated wait times and the number of patients treated are sensitive to the uptake of brief cognitive assessments. There was variation observed by state in the estimated average wait times, and these wait times could be three times longer in rural versus urban areas. According to the researchers, the biggest impact on reducing wait times for specialists would be with implementation of care models that enable primary care practitioners to diagnose and evaluate patients for treatment eligibility; this implementation would also have the largest impact on increasing the number of people treated from 2025 through 2044. Caseloads for specialists could be further reduced by improved triage of patients using blood-based biomarker tests. A combination of strategies to communicate the value of detection and treatment of patients, integrate primary care practitioners into the detection and diagnosis pathway, and address capacity disparities are required for widespread delivery of AD DMTs.
"Our analysis suggests that strategies are needed to ease the demand on specialists for evaluation and diagnosis of cognitive impairment," Liu said in a statement.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted January 2024
Read this next
Benefit of Thick Liquids in Alzheimer Disease and Dysphagia Unclear
MONDAY, May 6, 2024 -- For hospitalized patients with Alzheimer disease and related dementias (ADRD) and dysphagia, those receiving thick liquids are less likely to be intubated...
Differences ID'd in Tau Burden in Down Syndrome, Alzheimer Disease
THURSDAY, April 25, 2024 -- The spatial distribution, timing, and magnitude of tau burden differs for people with Down syndrome and those with autosomal-dominant Alzheimer...
Risk for Adverse Outcomes Increased With Antipsychotic Use in Dementia
FRIDAY, April 19, 2024 -- For adults with dementia, antipsychotic use is associated with increased risks for stroke, venous thromboembolism, myocardial infarction, heart failure...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.