Pilot study of an Alzheimer's disease risk assessment program in a primary care setting

Introduction The goal of this study was to pilot a referral‐based cognitive screening and genetic testing program for Alzheimer's disease (AD) risk assessment in a primary care setting. Methods Primary care providers (PCPs; N = 6) referred patients (N = 94; M = 63 years) to the Rhode Island Alzheimer's Disease Prevention Registry for apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotyping and cognitive screening. PCPs disclosed test results to patients and counseled them about risk factor modification. Results Compared to the Registry as a whole, participants were younger, more likely to be non‐White, and had lower cognitive screening scores. Mild cognitive impairment participants correctly reported a higher perceived risk of developing AD. Patients who recalled being counseled about modifiable risk factors were more likely to report positive health behavior changes. Discussion A referral‐based program for cognitive and genetic AD risk assessment in a primary care setting is feasible, acceptable to patients, and yielded a more demographically diverse sample than an AD prevention registry.