IMPROVING ADRD DIAGNOSIS IN PRIMARY CARE - TAILORING BLOOD-BASED BIOMARKER EDUCATION FOR LOW-LITERACY POPULATIONS

Sep 29, 2026

Upload by Oliver

Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias often go unrecognized or are misdiagnosed in primary care, which delays supportive services, planning, clinical trial access, and potentially disease-modifying therapies. Low educational attainment contributes to both higher ADRD risk and higher comorbidity burden. Blood-based biomarkers may improve timely diagnosis, but validation evidence may not generalize to low-literacy populations. An NIA-funded study develops and validates tailored education materials to support BBM decision-making, using cognitive interviews to assess clarity and relevance.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages1

Reading Time3 min

AccessFree to download

Background and problem

Impact of low education on ADRD diagnosis

Promise and limitation of blood-based biomarkers

Study aim and intervention

ADDPCP and the BBM decision-making support materials

Development approach using health communication strategies

Validation plan

Narrated presentations and take-home brochures

Cognitive interviews to assess clarity and relevance

Innovation in Aging, 2025, Vol. 9, No. S2 717 Ignacia Arteaga1, Alissa Sideman1, Cecilia Alagappan1, Joshua Grill2, Allyson Rosen3, Freddi Segal-Gidan4, Loren Alving5, and Howie Rosen1, 1. University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States, 2. University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California, United States, 3. Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States, 4. University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States, 5. California State University, Fresno, Fresno, California, United States An estimated 50–70% of symptomatic patients with Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) go unrecognized or are misdiagnosed in primary care, delaying access to supportive services, financial and residential planning, clinical trials, and potentially disease-modifying therapies. One key barrier to timely diagnosis is low educational attainment (e.g., not finishing high school), which is associated with both increased ADRD risk and higher rates of comorbidities. Blood-based biomarkers (BBMs) offer a promising, less invasive, and cost-effective tool to improve diagnosis in primary care. However, individuals with low educational attainment are underrepresented in BBM validation studies, raising concerns about their applicability to diverse populations. ADDPCP, an NIA-funded study, evaluates the accuracy and impact of ADRD diagnosis in primary care across California using clinical tools and BBMs. This presentation reviews the development and validation of educational materials to support BBM decision-making for low-literacy populations. Informed by prior PET amyloid disclosure protocols, we co-developed multi-modal pre-and post-test counseling materials using evidence-based health communication strategies and the Lexile Framework for Reading.These materials—narrated presentations and take-home brochures with pictorial aids—explain the purpose of BBM testing, the risks and benefits of learning results, and the limitations of the information provided. We are in the process of assessing their clarity and relevance through cognitive interviews with 12 matched participants naïve to the study. Abstract citation ID: igaf122.2442 IMPROVING ADRD DIAGNOSIS IN PRIMARY CARE: TAILORING BLOOD-BASED BIOMARKER EDUCATION FOR LOW-LITERACY POPULATIONS

FAQs

Why is ADRD diagnosis in primary care often delayed or inaccurate?

A substantial proportion of symptomatic ADRD patients are unrecognized or misdiagnosed in primary care, delaying access to supportive services, planning, trials, and potentially disease-modifying therapies.

How do blood-based biomarkers help, and what concern exists for low-literacy groups?

Blood-based biomarkers offer a less invasive and cost-effective tool, but people with low educational attainment are underrepresented in BBM validation studies, raising concerns about applicability.

What materials are being developed for low-literacy populations?

The study co-developed multi-modal pre- and post-test counseling materials, including narrated presentations and take-home brochures with pictorial aids, to explain testing purpose, risks and benefits, and information limitations.

Sep 29, 2026

Upload by Oliver