WASHINGTON, DC,
April 24, 2017 - Important new survey findings released today by WomenAgainstAlzheimer's and
the National
Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women's Health (NPWH) show
that approximately 30 percent of nurse practitioners (NPs) in women's health do
not raise brain health issues with patients, while only 18 percent of nurse
practitioners occasionally broach the issues during office visits.
In fact, 68
percent of the time, patients are raising brain health issues, rather than the
nurse practitioners treating them.
The findings raise
needed awareness for enhanced training of nurse practitioners and for the
adoption of better tools and protocols that increase brain health assessments
during regular care visits, which can aid in the early diagnosis of Alzheimer's
and related dementias. Often, the diagnosis of Alzheimer's and other dementias
is made too late, when patients and their families are already in crisis.
Furthermore, the
lack of communication about memory and brain health with patients can prevent
participation in potentially game-changing clinical trials, which can advance
Alzheimer's-related science and research. The survey found that just 5% of NPs
refer patients to clinical trials.
"Alzheimer's
remains like cancer was in the 1960's, a disease that strikes fear in patients
and practitioners alike," said Jill Lesser, President of
WomenAgainstAlzheimer's and Chief Strategy Officer of UsAgainstAlzheimer's.
"Without honest, informed screening and diagnosis, we will continue to
leave families in crisis and slow progress to a cure. Clinical trials need
participants and brain health awareness and assessments will help us get
there."
The survey, Brain
Health is Women's Health, was conducted to understand women's health providers'
knowledge of and attention to Alzheimer's and dementia, as well as study the
advice women are receiving from nurse practitioners, who often represent a
patient's primary access point to the healthcare system. Two-thirds of the 5.5
million Americans who have Alzheimer's are women, and the survey makes clear
that brain health assessments need to be added as central components of
"well-woman exams."
However, because
clinicians are not routinely initiating conversations about memory and brain
health, many women are not receiving an early diagnosis or the information they
need to formulate a care plan.
Other survey
findings were striking:
- 26%
of NPs don't know when to start asking about brain health, despite the
fact that changes in brain health can start more than a decade before
active symptoms occur.
- When
presented with a memory issue, only 15% of nurse practitioners carry out a
diagnostic test and just more than half refer patients to a neurologist.
- 86%
of NPs report not having a standard diagnostic tool.
- 84%
of NPs agreed or strongly agreed that they would benefit from additional
resources and training.
- 45%
of NPs report a lack of familiarity with the signs and symptoms of
dementia; however, 54% said that they want better knowledge in this area.
"Women's
Health Nurse Practitioners' provide holistic healthcare to women, therefore,
assessing brain health should be included in the well-woman visit," said
Gay Johnson, CEO of the National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women's
Health. "Quality education and efficient tools are key factors to enhance
nurse practitioners' competence in identifying dementia and providing memory
health services to their patients."
The survey findings
helped form the conclusion that further education of dementia signs and
symptoms, as well as a standard method to assess brain health, can help nurse
practitioners prioritize early diagnosis and help establish a dementia care
pathway for people with Alzheimer's or related dementias and their caregivers.
SOURCE: EurekAlert, The Global Source for Science News
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