Continuing Medical Education Course

Implementing a screening, diagnostic, and referral process for cognitive impairment among older adults can pose many challenges within an active and high volume primary care setting.  Time constraints, reimbursement constraints, and skepticism about effectiveness of treatments are just a few of the challenges primary care providers face in diagnosing and treating cognitive decline and dementia in the elderly.

However, with the population aging rapidly, the prevalence of mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease on the rise, and the fact that a majority of older adults receive their healthcare solely from a primary care physician, effective cognitive screening and treatment efforts are becoming element of primary care settings.

This multidisciplinary course covered the fundamentals of mild cognitive impairment and early Alzheimer’s disease, including diagnosis and clinical course, neuropathological underpinnings, risk factors and prevention, and pharmacological treatments.  Implementation of feasible and effective office based screening tools to distinguish normal aging from mild cognitive impairment and early Alzheimer’s disease will be covered along with key clinical, research, and community based resources for patients and their families.

Finally, an interactive panel discussion covered best strategies for communicating the diagnosis and prognosis to patients and families.

More information for the next Continuing Medical Education course will be available soon.

Please Contact, Christina DiTerlizzi, Education Programs Manager for more information.