April 21, 2025
In this publication, IMPACT funded investigators Ula Hwang, MD, MPH, Cameron Gettel, MD, and Scott Dresden, MD, MS, among others presents the outcomes of an IMPACT pilot study exploring the feasibility of emergency department (ED) clinicians screening and referring older adults with suspected cognitive impairment (CI).
Conducted across two urban EDs from different healthcare systems, the study found that identifying older adults at risk for undiagnosed dementia is feasible.
The study also revealed the challenge of gaps in follow-up care. The lack of streamlined referral and support systems may prevent at-risk patients from receiving timely outpatient evaluations and diagnoses.
These findings underscore the need for stronger care coordination and system-level interventions to turn initial detection into meaningful care.
Read more here.