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 teal dots indicate the amount of material in a particular resource: the darker the dot, the more information or tools are available. Resources are mapped to key stages within the dementia diagnosis and disclosure process – definitions for each stage can be found below. Clicking on the dot will give you a snapshot of what kind of information and/or tools are available:
- Formal Guidelines: medical guidelines for identifying cognitive impairment and/or dementia
- Provider Education: peer-reviewed literature, informational webinars/videos/podcasts, workflows and implementation guidance, billing codes, etc.
- Point-of-Care Resources: conversation guidance and talking points, scripted language to support difficult conversations around cognitive impairment, patient handouts, and/or assessment tools
- Patient & Care Partner Education: one-pagers, informational videos/podcasts, etc.
Index of Primary Care Clinical Resources for Dementia
Legend: ● Strong coverage ● Some coverage ● Minimal coverage ○ No coverage
Click a dot below for a list of tools available within each stage of a given resource.
| Toolkits | Prevent | Identify a Concern | Assess for Cognitive Impairment | Evaluate for Dementia (and Type) | Disclose Diagnosis | Make a Plan/ Refer to Specialist(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GSA KAER Toolkit | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| BOLD Toolkit for Early Dementia Detection | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| NICE Guidelines (UK) | ● | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| CLEAR Communication Toolkit | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● |
| CiPC Booklet CIPC Program Website | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| DETeCD-ADRD | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| 5-Step Brain Health Workup | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| DetectCID | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Assessment of Cognitive Complaints Toolkit | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
In the “Kickstart” step, KAER provides a comprehensive resource organized around high-level strategies for starting the conversation about brain health prior to the appearance of warning signs. What’s included?
- Formal Guidelines
- Provider Education
- Point-of-Care Resources
- Assessment Tools
- Conversation Guidance
- Scripted Language
- Patient & Care Partner Education
Embedded in the “Kickstart” step, KAER offers specific strategies and warning signs for cognitive impairment. What’s included?
- Formal Guidelines
- Provider Education
- Point-of-Care Resources:
- Conversation Guidance
- Scripted Language
- Patient & Care Partner Education
In the “Assess” step, KAER compiles and evaluates the many tools available for assessing patients for cognitive impairment. What’s included?
- Formal Guidelines
- Provider Education
- Point-of-Care Resource:
- Assessment Tools
- Conversation Guidance
- Scripted Language
- Patient & Care Partner Education
In the “Evaluate” step, KAER provides a comprehensive resource organized around high-level strategies for diagnosing dementia in patients. What’s included?
- Formal Guidelines
- Provider Education
- Point-of-Care Resources:
- Assessment Tools
Embedded in the “Evaluate” step, KAER compiles many resources to help teams discuss a diagnosis of dementia with patients and caregivers. What’s included?
- Formal Guidelines
- Provider Education
- Point-Of-Care Resources:
- Conversation Guidance
- Scripted Language
- Patient & Care Partner Education
In the “Refer” step, KAER identifies strategies for both referral to a specialist and ongoing follow-up in primary care, including considerations for specific populations. What’s included?
- Formal Guidelines
- Provider Education
- Point-Of-Care Resources:
- Conversation Guidance
- Patient & Care Partner Education
The BOLD Toolkit offers extensive advice on building a patient-centered dementia detection program based on the Ecological Model of Dementia Detection. What’s included?
- Formal Guidelines
- Provider Education
- Point-of-Care Resources
- Scripted Language
- Patient & Care Partner Education
The BOLD Toolkit offers extensive advice on communicating with patients about how and why they are being assessed for cognitive impairment. What’s included?
- Formal Guidelines
- Provider Education
- Point-Of-Care Resources:
- Assessment Tools
- Patient & Care Partner Education
The BOLD Toolkit offers a brief description of how to evaluate patients for reversible and non-reversible causes of cognitive impairment. What’s included?
- Provider Education
- Patient & Care Partner Education
The BOLD Toolkit offers basic advice on communicating with patient after an assessment for cognitive impairment. What’s included?
- Formal Guidelines
- Provider Education
- Point-Of-Care Resources
- Scripted Language
The BOLD Toolkit offers basic advice on how to follow-up with patients both by referring them to specialists and within primary care. What’s included?
- Formal Guidelines
- Point-Of-Care Resources
- Scripted Language
The NICE Guidelines include brief recommendations on actions to take with people with mild to moderate dementia to keep their cognitive impairment from progressing. What’s included?
- Formal Guidelines
The NICE Guidelines describe in details the steps to take to assess a patient for cognitive impairment.
- Formal Guidelines
- Provider Education
- Point-Of-Care Resources:
- Assessment Tools
The NICE Guidelines describe in detail the steps to take to diagnose a patient with a specific type of dementia. What’s included?
- Formal Guidelines
- Provider Education
- Point-Of-Care Resources
- Assessment Tools
The NICE Guidelines cover patient-centered care, including communication of a dementia diagnosis with patients.
- Formal Guidelines
- Provider Education
The NICE Guidelines describe in detail when and how to refer a dementia patient to a specialist. What’s included?
- Formal Guidelines
- Provider Education
- Patient & Care Partner Education
The CLEAR Communication Toolkit offers an extensive guide to having a conversation about a dementia diagnosis. What’s included?
- Formal Guidelines
- Provider Education
- Point-Of-Care Resources:
- Conversation Guidance
- Scripted Language
The CLEAR Communication Toolkit includes information about discussing specialty referrals with the patient and about making a plan for follow-up in primary care. What’s included?
- Formal Guidelines
- Point-Of-Care Resources:
- Conversation Guidance
- Scripted Language
The CiPC Program offers quick, easily digestible information about how to identify concerns about cognitive impairment. What’s included?
- Formal Guidelines
- Provider Education
- Point-Of-Care Resources:
- Assessment Tools
- Scripted Language
The CiPC Program offers quick, easily digestible information about how to assess a patient for cognitive impairment. What’s included?
- Formal Guidelines
- Provider Education
- Point-Of-Care Resources:
- Assessment Tools
- Scripted Language
The CiPC Program offers quick, easily digestible information about communicating a dementia diagnosis with a patient. What’s included?
- Formal Guidelines
- Provider Education
- Point-Of-Care Resources:
- Scripted Language (limited)
The CiPC Program offers quick, easily digestible information about creating a follow-up plan in primary care, including referrals to social services. What’s included?
- Formal Guidelines
- Provider Education
The DETeCD-ADRD Alzheimer’s Association clinical practice guideline includes a brief description of brain-healthy behaviors that primary care teams can advocate for with their patients. What’s included?
- Formal Guidelines
- Provider Education
The DETeCD-ADRD Alzheimer’s Association clinical practice guideline includes a brief description of common ways cognitive impairment is reported to a primary care team. What’s included?
- Formal Guidelines
- Provider Education
- Point-Of-Care Resources:
- Scripted Language
The DETeCD-ADRD Alzheimer’s Association clinical practice guideline includes an extensive framework and workflow for assessing patients for cognitive impairment. What’s included?
- Formal Guidelines
- Provider Education
The DETeCD-ADRD Alzheimer’s Association clinical practice guideline includes an extensive framework and workflow for diagnosing patients with dementia. What’s included?
- Formal Guidelines
- Provider Education
- Point-Of-Care Resources:
- Scripted Language
The DETeCD-ADRD Alzheimer’s Association clinical practice guideline includes some information about when to refer dementia patients to specialty care. What’s included?
- Formal Guidelines
- Provider Education
The 5-Step Brain Health Workup includes a brief description of how to listen for concerns from patients and informants. What’s included?
- Point-Of-Care Resources:
- Scripted Language (Limited)
The 5-Step Brain Health Workup includes a brief description of assessing a patient for cognitive impairment. What’s included?
- Formal Guidelines
The 5-Step Brain Health Workup includes an extensive description of how to evaluate for reversible and non-reversible causes of dementia. What’s included?
- Formal Guidelines
- Patient & Care Partner Education
The 5-Step Brain Health Workup includes an extensive description of how to communicate with patients about a dementia diagnosis using the PASS framework. What’s included?
- Formal Guidance
- Point-Of-Care Resources:
- Conversation Guidance
- Patient & Care Partner Education
The 5-Step Brain Health Workup includes some information about referring patients to specialists. What’s included?
- Formal Guidelines
- Patient & Care Partner Education
The DetectCID journal article includes brief advice on recognizing potential cognitive impairment in the context of implementing a cognitive impairment detection program. What’s included?
- Provider Education
The DetectCID journal article includes advice on assessing patients for cognitive impairment in the context of implementing a cognitive impairment detection program. What’s included?
- Provider Education
The DetectCID journal article includes brief advice on evaluating patients for dementia in the context of implementing a cognitive impairment detection program. What’s included?
- Formal Guidelines
- Provider Education
The DetectCID journal article includes brief advice on communicating a diagnosis of dementia in the context of implementing a cognitive impairment detection program. What’s included?
- Provider Education
The DetectCID journal article includes brief advice on following up on a dementia diagnosis in primary care in the context of implementing a cognitive impairment detection program. What’s included?
- Provider Education
The Assessment of Cognitive Complaints Toolkit is a workflow/list of questions to evaluate a patient for dementia and includes a few questions to elicit concerns of cognitive impairment. What’s included?
- Formal Guidelines
- Point-Of-Care Resources:
- Assessment Tools
- Scripted Language
The Assessment of Cognitive Complaints Toolkit is a workflow/list of questions to evaluate a patient for dementia and includes many questions to assess a patient for the presence of cognitive impairment. What’s included?
- Formal Guidelines
- Point-Of-Care Resources:
- Assessment Tools
- Scripted Language
The Assessment of Cognitive Complaints Toolkit is a workflow/list of questions to evaluate a patient for dementia and includes many questions to diagnose a patient with dementia. What’s included?
- Formal Guidelines
- Point-Of-Care Resources:
- Assessment Tools
- Scripted Language
The Assessment of Cognitive Complaints Toolkit is a workflow/list of questions to evaluate a patient for dementia and includes several scripts for discussing a diagnosis of dementia. What’s included?
- Point-Of-Care Resources:
- Assessment Tools
- Scripted Language
The Assessment of Cognitive Complaints Toolkit is a workflow/list of questions to evaluate a patient for dementia and includes brief advice on referring patients to specialty care. What’s included?
- Formal Guidelines
The CiPC Program offers quick, easily digestible information about evaluating a patient with dementia. What’s included?
- Formal Guidelines
- Provider Education
- Point-Of-Care Tools:
- Scripted Language
The BOLD Toolkit offers a few resources tailored for prevention and proactive management of cognitive impairment. What’s included?
- Formal Guidelines
- Provider Education
- Patient and Care Partner Education
The DETeCD-ADRD Alzheimer’s Association clinical practice guideline includes a resource with reccomendations and actionable guidance to support the disclosure process for cognitive impairment. What’s included?
- Formal Guidelines
- Provider Education
- Point-Of-Care Resources:
- Scripted Language
The 5-Step Brain Health Workup includes a helpful resource on healthy aging to support the Prevent stage. What’s included?
- Patient and Care Partner Education
The resources above were mapped according to the following six stages of dementia diagnosis and disclosure. In the context of this resource mapping, they are defined as follows:
Prevent: attend to your patients’ brain health prior to identifying the possibility of cognitive impairment
Identify a Concern: recognize your patient may have cognitive issues
Assess for Cognitive Impairment: rule out other common causes of cognitive issues (e.g. polypharmacy)
Evaluate for Dementia (And Type): specify what type of dementia (or other condition) your patient has
Disclose Diagnosis: discuss your findings with your patient
Make a Plan, Follow Through, Refer to Specialty Care: together with your patient, determine the best course of care
We hope this tool serves as an entryway into the complex landscape of dementia diagnosis and disclosure. Please feel free to share any thoughts or feedback about the tool here.
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