Amie Frame

Practical clinical tool to monitor dementia symptoms: the HABC-Monitor.

Background Dementia care providers need a clinical assessment tool similar to the blood pressure cuff (sphygmomanometer) used by clinicians and patients for managing hypertension. A “blood pressure cuff ” for dementia would be an inexpensive, simple, user-friendly, easily standardized, sensitive to change, and widely available multidomain instrument for providers and informal caregivers to measure severity of dementia symptoms. The purpose of this study was to assess the reliability and validity of the Healthy Aging Brain Care Monitor (HABC-Monitor) for measuring and monitoring the severity of dementia symptoms through caregiver reports. Methods The first prototype of the HABC-Monitor was developed in collaboration with the Indianapolis Discovery Network for Dementia, which includes 200 members representing 20 disciplines from 20 local organizations, and an expert panel of 22 experts in dementia care and research. The HABC-Monitor has three patient symptom domains (cognitive, functional, behavioral/psychological) and a caregiver quality of life domain. Patients (n = 171) and their informal caregivers (n = 171) were consecutively approached and consented during, or by phone shortly following, a patient’s routine visit to their memory care provider. Results The HABC-Monitor demonstrated good internal consistency (0.73–0.92); construct validity indicated by correlations with the caregiver-reported Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) total score and NPI caregiver distress score; sensitivity to three-month change compared with NPI “reliable change” groups; and known-groups validity, indicated by significant separation of Mini-Mental Status Examination severity groups and clinical diagnostic groups. Although not designed as a screening study, there was evidence for good operating characteristics, according to area under the receiver-operator curve with respect to gold standard clinical diagnoses, relative to Mini-Mental Status Examination or NPI. Conclusion The HABC-Monitor demonstrates good reliability and validity as a clinically practical multidimensional tool for monitoring symptoms of dementia through the informal caregiver.

Effect of patient perceptions on dementia screening in primary care

To determine individuals’ perceptions concerning dementia screening and to evaluate the possibility of an association between their perceptions and their willingness to undergo screening.

Caregiver and Noncaregiver Attitudes Toward Dementia Screening

OBJECTIVES: To compare attitudes toward dementia screening of older adults with and without an experience of dementia caregiving.

Development and Implementation of an Electronic Decision Support to Manage the Health of a High-Risk Population: The enhanced Electronic Medical Record Aging Brain Care Software (eMR-ABC).

Introduction: Health care systems in the United States are transitioning from volume-based purchasing models to value-based purchasing models that demand both delivery of personalized care for each patient and cost-effective population health management. The enhanced medical record for aging brain care (eMR-ABC) software is an electronic decision support system that facilitates the management of a high-risk population suffering from aging brain disorders such as dementia. Methods: Using the lenses of the Complex Adaptive System and the Reflective Adaptive Process, we assembled an interdisciplinary team of clinicians, health services researchers, and software developers who designed, implemented, evaluated, and continuously modified the eMR-ABC to meet the needs of care coordinators who manage the health of a targeted high-risk population. Results: The eMR-ABC captures and monitors the cognitive, functional, behavioral, and psychological symptoms of a registry of patients suffering from dementia or depression as well as the burden of patients’ family caregivers. It provides decision support to care coordinators to create a personalized care plan that includes evidence-based nonpharmacological protocols, self-management handouts, and alerts of medications with potentially adverse cognitive effects. The software’s built-in engine tracks patient visits and on-demand functionality to generate population reports for specified indicators. Discussion: Population health programs depend on data collection and information systems with the ability to provide valuable and timely feedback on an ongoing basis. Following these guidelines, the eMR-ABC was designed specifically to meet the management needs of a high-risk population.

Connecting research discovery with care delivery in dementia: the development of the Indianapolis Discovery Network for Dementia.

Background The US Institute of Medicine has recommended an integrated, locally sensitive collaboration among the various members of the community, health care systems, and research organizations to improve dementia care and dementia research. Methods Using complex adaptive system theory and reflective adaptive process, we developed a professional network called the “Indianapolis Discovery Network for Dementia” (IDND). The IDND facilitates effective and sustainable interactions among a local and diverse group of dementia researchers, clinical providers, and community advocates interested in improving care for dementia patients in Indianapolis, Indiana. Results The IDND was established in February 2006 and now includes more than 250 members from more than 30 local (central Indiana) organizations representing 20 disciplines. The network uses two types of communication to connect its members. The first is a 2-hour face-to-face bimonthly meeting open to all members. The second is a web-based resource center (http://www.indydiscoverynetwork.org ). To date, the network has: (1) accomplished the development of a network website with an annual average of 12,711 hits per day; (2) produced clinical tools such as the Healthy Aging Brain Care Monitor and the Anticholinergic Cognitive Burden Scale; (3) translated and implemented the collaborative dementia care model into two local health care systems; (4) created web-based tracking software, the Enhanced Medical Record for Aging Brain Care (eMR-ABC), to support care coordination for patients with dementia; (5) received more than USD

Medication adherence and tolerability of Alzheimer's disease medications: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

24 million in funding for members for dementia-related research studies; and (6) adopted a new group-based problem-solving process called the “IDND consultancy round.” Conclusion A local interdisciplinary “think-tank” network focused on dementia that promotes collaboration in research projects, educational initiatives, and quality improvement efforts that meet the local research, clinical, and community needs relevant to dementia care has been built.

Redesigning acute care for cognitively impaired older adults: Optimizing health care services

BackgroundThe class of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (ChEI), including donepezil, rivastigmine, and galantamine, have similar efficacy profiles in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, few studies have evaluated adherence to these agents. We sought to prospectively capture the rates and reasons for nonadherence to ChEI and determine factors influencing tolerability and adherence.Methods/designWe designed a pragmatic randomized clinical trial to evaluate the adherence to ChEIs among older adults with AD. Participants include AD patients receiving care within memory care practices in the greater Indianapolis area. Participants will be followed at 6-week intervals up to 18 weeks to measure the primary outcome of ChEI discontinuation and adherence rates and secondary outcomes of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia. The primary outcome will be assessed through two methods, a telephone interview of an informal caregiver and electronic medical record data captured from each healthcare system through a regional health information exchange. The secondary outcome will be measured by the Healthy Aging Brain Care Monitor and the Neuropsychiatric Inventory. In addition, the trial will conduct an exploratory evaluation of the pharmacogenomic signatures for the efficacy and the adverse effect responses to ChEIs. We hypothesized that patient-specific factors, including pharmacogenomics and pharmacokinetic characteristics, may influence the study outcomes.DiscussionThis pragmatic trial will engage a diverse population from multiple memory care practices to evaluate the adherence to and tolerability of ChEIs in a real world setting. Engaging participants from multiple healthcare systems connected through a health information exchange will capture valuable clinical and non-clinical influences on the patterns of utilization and tolerability of a class of medications with a high rate of discontinuation.Trial RegistrationClinicaltrials.gov: NCT01362686

Evaluation of interprofessional relational coordination and patients’ perception of care in outpatient oncology teams

Purpose of the study Cognitive impairment (CI) is one of several factors known to influence hospitalization, hospital length of stay, and rehospitalization among older adults. Redesigning care delivery systems sensitive to the influence of CI may reduce acute care utilization while improving care quality. To develop a foundation of fundamental needs for health care redesign, we conducted focus groups with inpatient and outpatient providers to identify barriers, facilitators, and suggestions for improvements in care delivery for patients with CI. Design and methods Focus group sessions were conducted with providers to identify their approach to caring for cognitively impaired hospitalized adults; obstacles and facilitators to providing this care; and suggestions for improving the care process. Using a thematic analysis, two reviewers analyzed these transcripts to develop codes and themes. Results Seven themes emerged from the focus group transcripts. These were: (1) reflections on serving the cognitively impaired population; (2) descriptions of perceived barriers to care; (3) strategies that improve or facilitate caring for hospitalized older adults; (4) the importance of fostering a hospital friendly to the needs of older adults; (5) the need for educating staff, patients, and caregivers; (6) the central role of good communication; and (7) steps needed to provide more effective care. Implications Providing effective acute care services to older adults with CI is an important challenge in health care reform. An understanding derived from the perspective of multiple professional disciplines is an important first step. Future research will build on this preliminary study in developing new acute care models for patients with CI.

COGNITIVE HEALTH OUTCOMES INVESTIGATION OF THE COMPARATIVE EFFECTIVENESS OF DEMENTIA SCREENING: THE INDIANA UNIVERSITY CHOICE STUDY

ABSTRACT This pilot study was designed to measure teamwork and the relationship of teamwork to patient perceptions of care among 63 members of 12 oncology teams at a Cancer Centre in the Midwest. Lack of teamwork in cancer care can result in serious clinical errors, fragmentation of care, and poor quality of care. Many oncology team members, highly skilled in clinical care, are not trained to work effectively as members of a care team. The research team administered the Relational Coordination survey to core oncology team members—medical oncologists, nurse coordinators, and clinical secretaries—to measure seven dimensions of team skills (four relating to communication [frequency, timeliness, accuracy, and problem solving] and three relating to relationship [shared goals, shared knowledge, and mutual respect]) averaged to create a Relational Coordination Index. The results indicated that among the team member roles, nurse coordinator relational coordination indices were the strongest and most positively correlated with patient perception of care. Statistically significant correlations were intra-nurse coordinator relational coordination indices and two patient perception of care factors (information and education and patient’s preferences). All other nurse coordinator intra-role as well as inter-role correlations were also positively correlated, although not statistically significant.

Caregivers and Non-Caregivers Attitudes about Dementia Screening

eat healthier for seniors in assisted living and adult day health, including thosewith Alzheimer’s and other dementias. Thismodel nutritional program has been proven to be feasible and accepted by older adults, and as a bonus, serves as an effective employee wellness program. Staff and referring providers appear eager to learn about better nutrition for themselves. Brain healthy food tasting events appear to be good teaching models for both residents and staff. In addition this brain and body healthy nutrition program helped sponsors achieve a positive reputation of innovative senior living care, by using nutrition as part of the treatment plan.