Emergency departments improving Alzheimer's and dementia care

ED-LEAD: Emergency Departments LEading the transformation of Alzheimer's and Dementia care

NIH-funded research New York University School of Medicine · NIH-11179222

This project brings new emergency-department programs to people living with Alzheimer's disease or other dementias and their caregivers to improve care after emergency visits.

Quick facts

Grant typeNIH-funded research
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionNew York University School of Medicine NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (New York, United States)
Project IDNIH-11179222 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

If I or my loved one with dementia goes to the emergency department, this program aims to turn that visit into a chance to address unmet needs and plan better care. The team is embedding their approach across many health systems and about 80 emergency departments, using things like digital alerts, redesigned ED workflows, nurse-led phone follow-up, and community paramedic coaching. Those components build on prior work that helped more people complete advance care plans, connect to hospice, and cut return visits. The project focuses on real-world ED settings so changes can be used widely if they work.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates are people living with Alzheimer's disease or related dementias who visit one of the participating emergency departments and their care partners.

Not a fit: People without dementia or those who do not receive care at a participating emergency department are unlikely to directly benefit from this program.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reduce repeat emergency visits, increase advance care planning, and better connect people with dementia to supportive services.

How similar studies have performed: Earlier trials by this team showed increased advance care planning and a community paramedic program that reduced 30-day ED revisits by about 75%.

Where this research is happening

New York, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions Alzheimer disease dementiaAlzheimer syndromeAlzheimer's Disease
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.