Alzheimer's Association Launches National Initiative to Bring Advances to Clinical Care

Earlier this month, the Alzheimer's Association announced the launch of the Brain Health & Quality Care Initiative (BHQCI), a national effort designed to help clinicians and health systems integrate brain health promotion, cognitive assessment, dementia diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing care into routine clinical practice. The initiative will initially focus on primary care, recognizing the critical role primary care clinicians play in identifying and addressing cognitive concerns.

According to the Association, the initiative will provide:

• Evidence-based guidance and implementation resources for health care organizations
• Professional education and peer-to-peer learning opportunities
• Practical support for brain health risk reduction, cognitive assessment, diagnosis, referrals, and connections to care and support services
• A national recognition program for organizations that successfully implement evidence-based brain health and dementia care practices 

The initiative is intended to help address persistent gaps in care at a time when advances such as blood-based diagnostic testing and disease-modifying treatments are creating new opportunities for earlier detection, diagnosis, and intervention. For internal medicine physicians, this means the availability of new educational resources, clinical tools, and care delivery approaches that better support early recognition and management of cognitive concerns.

You can learn more about this initiative by reading the official Alzheimer's Association announcement.

For additional tools & resources from the Alzheimer's Association, visit https://www.alz.org/help-support/resources.