March 15, 2024
Author: Jeannine Sato
IMPACT Collaboratory announces two new resources to aid in the design of ePCTs
Two IMPACT Collaboratory cores have developed new tools to assist in the design of embedded pragmatic trials (ePCTs) for people living with dementia.
The Design and Statistics Core has developed statistical tools and novel methodology to aid in the design and analyses of ePCTs for people living with dementia. These methods, manuscripts, statistical programs, and interactive web applications are now available to help researchers calculate sample sizes, intra-cluster correlations, and power for stepped wedge and cluster randomized trials.
The content can be accessed in IMPACT’s new Statistical Tools web page. The tools will be updated as new statistical resources become available.
The Technical Data Core has generated prevalence estimates of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) for the Medicare population by geographic regions (e.g., state, hospital referral regions) and settings of care (hospitals, emergency departments, skilled nursing facilities). These data include the total number of Medicare beneficiaries, total number of beneficiaries with ADRD, and key demographic characteristics (age, sex, race, dual eligibility). Data from 2020 and 2021 are available for Medicare Advantage and Traditional Medicare populations. The prevalence data are available with consultation to help investigators planning ePCTs for people living with dementia in these settings of care.
Learn more about United States Dementia Prevalence Estimates among Medicare Beneficiaries. Interested investigators may request a consultation with an expert.
CAPRA Data Brief | health care use patterns among older adults with dementia
IMPACT’s Cameron Gettel, MD and Julie Bynum, MD, MPH are among the authors of the CAPRA Data Brief on health care use patterns among older adults with dementia. The brief was developed by the Center to Accelerate Population Research on Alzheimer’s (CAPRA) at the University of Michigan.
Authors demonstrated the use of Medicare claims to examine healthcare use patterns among older adults with ADRD using datasets provided by the Impact Collaboratory. The brief cites the increase in emergency care, hospitalization, and skilled nursing facility admissions for Medicare recipients and an increased need for planning and care for people with Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) in the U.S.
Karlawish quoted in NY Times article on proposed Alzheimer’s blood test
IMPACT member Jason Karlawish, MD, weighs in on a proposed Alzheimer’s diagnosis tool – a simple blood test. An independent Alzheimer’s working group is finalizing its recommendations for diagnosing Alzheimer’s based on the presence of amyloids in a blood test alone, independent of symptoms. Karlawish voices concern that the amyloid blood test is not yet ready for clinical practice.
CareMobi app developed by IMPACT investigator Tina Sadarangani featured in Spectrum News
Dr. Tina Sadarangani’s CareMobi caregiver support mobile application (app) was featured in a national story on Specturm News. The CareMobi app is designed to help caregivers track patients health information, symptoms and other information needed to coordinate caregiving for older adults. The news feature describes how Sadarangani worked with caregivers, nurses, doctors and programmers to create the app, which helps coordinate a person’s entire care team. Several senior care centers are testing the app as part of a research study by the National Institute on Aging. The app is available in the Apple App Store and is currently free to all during the testing phase.
Vince Mor presenting in pre-conference workshop during this year’s Society for Clinical Trials Annual Meeting
IMPACT multiple principal investigator, Vince Mor, PhD, will join colleagues Emily O’Brien, Wendy Weber, Elizabeth Turner, and Angelo Volandes, presenting at the “Patient-Centered Research in Real-World Settings: Essentials of Embedded Pragmatic Clinical Trials Workshop” on day 1 of The Annual Meeting of the Society for Clinical Trials (SCT).
The workshop will provide an introduction to the opportunities for embedded health systems research, along with strategies for conducting patient-centered clinical trials that provide real-world evidence necessary to inform improvements in healthcare. The team will incorporate health equity considerations into their presentation.
SCT’s annual meeting is a multidisciplinary program that brings together the clinical trials community. The annual meeting will be held in Boston, MA, May 19-22, 2024.
IMPACT scholar appointed editor of Palliative Medicine Report
The IMPACT Collaboratory wishes to congratulate Hillary Lum, MD, PhD, who was appointed Editor-in-Chief of Palliative Medicine Reports. The journal, published by Mary Ann Liebert Inc. Publishers, focuses on peer-reviewed articles covering medical, psychosocial, policy, and legal issues in serious illness and end-of-life care.
IMPACT awardee quoted in NYT article on mild cognitive impairment
IMPACT Career Development awardee Andrew Kiselica, Tech-AiD, weighed in on the impact of a mild cognitive impairment diagnosis, and ways to manage symptoms and slow progression in a recent opinion piece in the New York Times. Kiselica is an assistant professor of health psychology and a board-certified clinical neuropsychologist at the University of Missouri. He commented on the possibility of new dementia medications and current risks and benefits.