Referral Sources Across Racial and Ethnic Groups at Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Public Health
• Clinical Research

Background:

• Low enrollment of underrepresented groups (URG) in Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) studies hinders research progress.
• Identifying barriers to participation is essential for increasing diversity in clinical trials.
• Referral source is a key factor influencing participant recruitment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare referral sources across racial and ethnic groups among participants in Alzheimer's Disease Centers (ADCs) studies.
• To investigate potential disparities in how different racial and ethnic groups are referred to ADRD research.

Main Methods:

• Secondary analysis of the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center Uniform Data Set, including 48,330 participants from 46 ADRCs.
• Mixed-effects logistic regression models were used to compare professional versus non-professional referral sources by race and ethnicity.
• Analyses were adjusted for age, gender, education, visit year, Clinical Dementia Rating scale, and study site.

Main Results:

• Non-Hispanic Black and Asian participants showed significantly lower odds of professional referral compared to non-Hispanic White participants.
• Adjusted odds ratios indicated reduced likelihood of professional referral for Black (OR=0.61) and Asian (OR=0.65) individuals.
• No significant differences in referral sources were observed among participants who had undergone an MRI scan.

Conclusions:

• Disparities exist in professional referral patterns for underrepresented racial and ethnic groups in ADRD studies.
• Further research is necessary to identify systemic and structural factors contributing to these referral differences.
• Addressing these disparities is critical for enhancing the recruitment and engagement of diverse populations in dementia research.