Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Healthcare Management
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Alzheimer's disease (AD) treatments are advancing with new European approvals.
• Healthcare systems, including Ireland's, face challenges in implementing these disease-modifying therapies (DMTs).
• Barriers include access, infrastructure, and logistics for novel AD treatments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility of implementing Alzheimer's disease DMTs in Ireland's public and private healthcare sectors.
• To evaluate readiness for real-world application of therapies like Donanemab and Lecanemab.
• To serve as a model for European healthcare system preparedness for AD DMTs.

Main Methods:

• Multi-center observational feasibility study across four Irish locations.
• Patient journey mapping using retrospective and hypothetical data.
• Evaluation of key process measures and graph-theory modeling of patient pathways.

Main Results:

• Anticipated identification of disparities in DMT access and logistical bottlenecks.
• Graph-based modeling to reveal system inefficiencies and optimize patient pathways.
• Insights into enablers for scalable implementation and stakeholder-informed approaches.

Conclusions:

• This study addresses the urgent need for preparedness in integrating new Alzheimer's disease therapies.
• Actionable insights will guide national guidelines and improve healthcare delivery frameworks.
• The findings aim to enhance Ireland's readiness and inform broader European adoption of AD DMTs.