Improving Early Detection of Cognitive Impairment in Older Adults in Primary Care Clinics: Recommendations From an Interdisciplinary Geriatrics Summit

Abstract

As the population ages, the prevalence of cognitive impairment due to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer disease (AD) is expected to double in the United States to nearly 14 million over the next 40 years. AD and related dementias (ADRD) are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality and among the costliest to society. Although emerging biomedical interventions for ADRD focus on early stages and are currently limited to AD, care management can benefit patients with ADRD across the disease course. Moreover, some causes of cognitive impairment are modifiable, and optimal overall management may slow or prevent additional decline. Nevertheless, a sizable proportion of cases of cognitive impairment among older adults remain undiagnosed. Primary care practitioners are often the first health care professionals to encounter cognitive concerns or to be able to observe changes in function resulting from cognitive impairment; hence, they have much to contribute to population health solutions for detecting cognitive impairment among older adults. In this report, we present key points and gaps in knowledge about methods for detecting cognitive impairment in primary care clinics. These were developed via an interdisciplinary Geriatrics Summit hosted by the National Academy of Neuropsychology in 2022, attended by representatives of national organizations engaged in work to improve care of older adults. We propose a novel workflow to facilitate detecting cognitive impairment during routine primary care, focusing on opportunities provided by the annual wellness visit, a preventive visit available to Medicare beneficiaries, along with additional recommendations and opportunities for clinical practice and research.