Patel KJ, Yang D, Feldman HH, Hsiung GR, Nygaard HB, Best JR, Dwosh E, Robillard JM, DeMarco ML. Personal value of Alzheimer's disease biomarker testing and result disclosure from the patient and care partner perspective.
ALZHEIMER'S & DEMENTIA (NEW YORK, N. Y.) 2024;
10:e12463. [PMID:
38596482 PMCID:
PMC10999946 DOI:
10.1002/trc2.12463]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION
We described patients' and care partners' experiences with Alzheimer's disease (AD) cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarker testing and result disclosure in routine care.
METHODS
IMPACT-AD BC is an observational study of clinic patients who underwent AD CSF biomarker testing as part of their routine medical care (n = 142). In the personal utility arm of the study, semi-structured phone interviews were conducted with a subset of patients (n = 34), and separately with their care partners (n = 31). Post-disclosure interviews were conducted ∼1 month and ∼6 months after biomarker result disclosure and investigated the patients' decision-making process around testing, impact of receiving results, wellness and lifestyle changes, and future planning.
RESULTS
A majority of patients (90%) rated their decision to undergo testing as "easy." Post-disclosure, the majority (82%) reported overall positive feelings from having greater certainty and the ability to plan ahead, and results spurred them to adopt/continue healthy behaviors such as exercise (84%) and cognitive activities (54%). Care partners expressed relief from having more diagnostic certainty, increased appreciation of future caregiving responsibilities, and a desire to connect with support resources.
DISCUSSION
Perspectives of persons with lived experience in dementia provide new insight into the value of biomarker testing and should be included as part of evidence-guided considerations for pre-test counseling and result disclosure. Moreover, study findings identify an interval when patients and care partners are highly receptive to positive lifestyle and medical interventions.
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