Better emergency care for people with Alzheimer's and related dementias
Improving Acute Disease Management for Patients with Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias
This project looks at how people with Alzheimer's and related dementias are tested and treated for sudden problems like heart attacks and blood clots to help make emergency care safer and fairer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Dartmouth College NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Hanover, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11176915 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You are seeing this because researchers want to understand how a diagnosis of Alzheimer's or a related dementia changes emergency care when someone has an acute problem such as a pulmonary embolism (blood clot in the lung) or a heart attack. They will analyze large U.S. hospital and insurance claims databases to compare who gets which diagnostic tests and treatments and how dementia severity affects those decisions. The team will develop and validate a hospital-level measure of testing intensity and diagnostic processes for these conditions in people with dementia. Their goal is to find gaps and patterns that could guide clearer care decisions and improve outcomes for patients with ADRD.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People living with Alzheimer's disease or related dementias who are seen in emergency departments or hospitalized with suspected or confirmed pulmonary embolism or heart attack are the focus of this work.
Not a fit: People without a diagnosis of Alzheimer's or related dementias, or those not evaluated for heart attack or pulmonary embolism in emergency care, are unlikely to be directly affected by this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead hospitals and clinicians to use more appropriate, equitable testing and treatment for people with dementia during emergencies.
How similar studies have performed: Prior research has shown lower testing and treatment rates for people with dementia, but developing and validating hospital-level measures of testing intensity for PE and AMI in this population is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Hanover, United States
- Dartmouth College — Hanover, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Agha, Leila S. — Dartmouth College
- Study coordinator: Agha, Leila S.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.