Primary care clinicians are uniquely positioned to recognize dementia, make a diagnosis, and provide ongoing care. And with the number of Alzheimer’s cases expected to nearly double by 2050, this role is critically important. Yet time constraints, competing demands, and the complexity of dementia care can make it difficult for clinicians to recognize symptoms, initiate timely conversations, and support patients and families over time.
What Primary Care Clinicians Are Saying:
“[Patients have] 50 more things they want to convey about what they’re worried about to feel a sense of care even if we can’t solve it. But the timing doesn’t allow it all in one visit.”
“It feels like such a significant diagnosis. It’s not something that is clear cut. We don’t have a lab to say ‘yes.’”
“Difficult interactions with family members make communication challenging. Especially when there is a child who thinks there may be dementia, but the patient doesn’t recognize it.”
Leveraging AI for Better Care
The Cognitive Care Coach, developed by Essential Communication for Dementia at Ariadne Labs, is an AI-enabled tool that gives primary care clinicians timely, evidence-based support to recognize dementia, navigate challenging moments, and communicate with patients and families with greater confidence.
Instead of searching through toolkits and resources, clinicians can turn to the coach for in-the-moment guidance whenever they need help navigating a challenge, whether that’s starting a conversation, determining what to do next, or feeling stuck in a difficult conversation with a patient or family member.
The coach is powered by a bespoke large language model informed by vetted, high-quality sources. It offers curated, actionable guidance, including suggested language for sensitive conversations.
The Cognitive Care Coach incorporates three core features developed by the Essential Communication team:
“I think this is a really needed tool. It felt like having a mentor peeking over your shoulder.”
– Primary care clinician
- A Navigation Map to help clinicians identify where a person is in their dementia journey.
- Suggested Language to support timely, compassionate conversations at each stage.
- A Stuck Points Framework to help clinicians move through challenging and emotionally complex moments.
The Cognitive Care Coach puts evidence-informed dementia communication guidance within reach for all primary care clinicians. By enhancing rather than replacing clinical judgement, it helps clinicians navigate challenging moments while preserving the trust and connection at the heart of patient care.
The prototype Cognitive Care Coach is now in early testing. To learn more or try out the tool, contact our team at essentialcommunication@ariadnelabs.org.
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Featured Resource
Index of Primary Care Clinical Resources for Dementia
Many excellent resources exist to help primary care teams recognize, diagnose, communicate about, and care for cognitive impairment in their patients. This color-coded index will help you identify which resources offer the most relevant information and tools for your specific concerns or questions.
The Right Tool(kit) for Your Job: Indexing Dementia Diagnosis Resources
The Essential Communications for Dementia team at Ariadne Labs has created the Index of Primary Care Clinical Resources for Dementia to help clinicians navigate the available resources and find the right support for their specific needs. Learn more about the tool and how and why it was developed.
