Interim Analysis of Online Screening as a Recruitment Strategy for the Models of Patient Engagement in Alzheimer’s disease (MOPEAD) Initiative

Background 

Alzheimer’s disease trials are now focusing on preventative rather than reactive administration, which means that the identification and engagement of those at risk for dementia has never been more important.

The aim of the Models of Patient Engagement in Alzheimer’s disease (MOPEAD) study is to test and evaluate four patient engagement strategies for identifying individuals at risk of Alzheimer’s disease. These models include online screening, an open house initiative, primary care engagement and tertiary care engagement (through endocrinologist clinics).

Here we present the interim analysis of patients recruited through the online screening model.

 

Methods

The online screening tool was available in five countries (Sweden, Slovenia, Spain, the Netherlands and Germany). Each country employed its own marketing strategy to engage participants with the online platform. 

Through the platform, participants completed the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB Recruit): delivering Paired Associates Learning (PAL) and Spatial Working Memory (SWM) tasks to assess episodic and working memory, respectively.

An algorithm was then applied to automatically score participants against pre-set criteria for further diagnostic evaluation. If the participant provided consent, and met the criteria for impairment, they were invited to attend a consultation for a complete diagnostic evaluation.

 

Results

2,097 participants were screened via the web-based platform on CANTAB tests up to 10th June 2019.

At the country level, differential rates of recruitment were observed (Figure 1A), as were differences in rates of participants meeting the criteria for further diagnostic evaluation (Figure 1B).

Figure 1. Summary of Screening status A) Screening status and total number of participants recruited by country B) Proportion and number of participants by country by screening status.

High completion rates were shown with 73% of subjects completing both CANTAB tests, and the target population of participants aged 65-85 was reached.

On average, 35% of participants completing both CANTAB tests met the criteria for further diagnostic evaluation.

 

Conclusions

• Older adults are willing and able to engage in self-guided web-based assessments
• SWM and PAL detected deficits in working and episodic memory in this older population
• Feasibility and sensitivity by web-based testing is encouraging
• MOPEAD investigators will next perform evaluation and comparison of strategies for screening effectiveness and cost-effectiveness

 

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Tags : poster | patient recruitment | alzheimer's disease