Patient Stakeholder Versus Physician Preferences Regarding Amyloid PET Testing

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Medical Imaging
• Patient-Centered Care

Background:

• Patient and caregiver perspectives on amyloid positron emission tomography (PET) use are under-researched compared to clinician views.
• Understanding these perspectives is crucial for developing comprehensive guidelines for amyloid PET utilization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare patient and caregiver views with clinician perspectives on amyloid PET use.
• To inform an evidence-based guideline on amyloid PET utilization.

Main Methods:

• A survey was conducted among clinicians, patients, caregivers, and dementia advocates.
• Participants rated the importance of various topics related to amyloid PET guidelines.
• Statistical comparison (Mann-Whitney U test) was used to analyze differences between patient representatives and clinicians.

Main Results:

• Patient representatives rated most topics as important as or more important than clinicians.
• Differences were most pronounced regarding the value of testing asymptomatic individuals and managing false-positive/false-negative results.
• Patients and caregivers emphasized diagnosis importance and outcomes for asymptomatic populations.

Conclusions:

• Patient and caregiver priorities differ from clinician views, particularly concerning asymptomatic individuals.
• Further research is needed on the impact of amyloid PET results in asymptomatic populations.
• Establishing clear standards for ordering and disclosing amyloid PET results is essential.