How doctors' training and hospital leadership affect Alzheimer’s care and fairness

The effect of medical school, residency program, and health system board characteristics on AD/ADRD care quality and outcomes.

NIH-funded research University of California Los Angeles · NIH-11323004

Researchers will link national doctor, hospital, and Medicare records to learn how medical training and health system leadership influence care and outcomes for people with Alzheimer’s, especially in racial and ethnic minority groups.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionUniversity of California Los Angeles NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Los Angeles, United States)
Project IDNIH-11323004 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

If you or a loved one has Alzheimer’s or a related dementia, this project looks at whether where doctors trained and how hospitals are governed changes the care people receive. The team will combine Medicare claims, patient experience surveys, physician records, medical school and residency data, and health system information to compare care patterns and outcomes. They will use quasi-experimental methods to try to isolate effects of medical school, residency program, and health system board characteristics on measures like medication use, advance care planning, hospitalizations, and caregiver burden. The focus includes how these factors contribute to racial and ethnic disparities in dementia care across the United States.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: People in the United States with a Medicare diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias, especially those from racial and ethnic minority groups, are the primary population reflected in the data used by this research.

Not a fit: People under 65, those without Medicare coverage, or individuals living outside the United States are unlikely to be represented or directly benefit from the study findings.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could guide changes in medical education and hospital leadership that improve quality of Alzheimer’s care and reduce racial and ethnic disparities.

How similar studies have performed: Prior research has documented disparities in dementia care, but combining national education, physician, and health system data to link training and leadership characteristics to those disparities is a newer and less-tested approach.

Where this research is happening

Los Angeles, 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 DiseaseAlzheimer's Disease and its related dementias
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.