[p4–327]: Patient and Caregiver Assessment of the Benefits From the Clinical Use of Amyloid‐pet Imaging
Year: 2017
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: While many studies have evaluated the diagnostic or prognostic implications of amyloid PET imaging, few have explored patient and caregiver views on the clinical use of amyloid PET. We designed a 7-item questionnaire to assess patient and caregiver views (510 total respondents) toward amyloid PET imaging and its inaccessibility in routine clinical practice. The questionnaire was advertised broadly through alz.org/trialmatch. We received 510 unique responses from 48 US states, two Canadian provinces, the Dominican Republic, and Greece. 42% of the participants identified with early onset cognitive decline (EOD, <65 years at disease onset). There were significantly more patients vs. caregivers among EOD than late onset cognitive decline (LOD) (p <0.0001). 87% of respondents were from urban areas. By U.S. region, the responses were divided as 16% Northeast, 22% Midwest, 36% South, and 23% West (the remaining 3% of unclassifiable regions). Patients vs. caregivers and EOD vs. LOD did not differ in their rates of dissatisfaction with the clinical unavailability (range 85.2%-91.2% across categories), support for additional research on the clinical utility of amyloid imaging, and willingness to undergo amyloid imaging if recommended by their doctor. Patients vs. caregivers and EOD vs. LOD were as likely to pursue more information about the disease, to seek legal and financial planning, long term care and life insurance, and to communicate their diagnosis and prognosis with their families. EOD were more likely to explore options for disability insurance than those with late onset cognitive decline (p = 0.03). No differences in responses were seen between urban and rural dwellers. Responders from the Midwest were more likely to utilize information from amyloid imaging for legal planning (p = 0.02), disability insurance (p = 0.02), and life insurance (p = 0.04) than other US regions, particularly the South and the West. Patients and caregivers supported the use of amyloid PET imaging in clinical practice and felt that the information would provide significant benefits particularly in terms of future planning.
Source: Alzheimer s & Dementia
Institutions: Indiana University School of Medicine, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, University of California, San Francisco, University of California, Berkeley, Harvard University, Massachusetts General Hospital, Alzheimer's Association, Indiana University Indianapolis, Medical University of South Carolina, Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, University of California, Los Angeles
Language: English
Subfield: Psychiatry and Mental health
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W2767022528