Determinants of Plasma Alzheimer’s Disease Biomarker Use by Primary Care Providers and Dementia Specialists

Background The efficiencies of plasma Alzheimer’s disease (AD) biomarkers could facilitate early AD diagnosis. Unfortunately, limited knowledge exists about whether and how they would be used by clinicians. Objective To identify and compare determinants of plasma AD biomarker use reported by primary care providers and dementia specialists. Design Semi-structured interviews with clinicians organized using Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovations theory and analyzed using an iterative coding approach. Participants The subjects were internal and family medicine, neurology, and geriatrics providers with varying degrees of expertise in dementia diagnosis and care. Main Measures Factors influencing a clinician’s decision to use or not use plasma AD biomarkers in clinical practice. Key Results We interviewed 30 clinicians (16 family or internal medicine providers, 8 geriatricians, and 6 neurologists). Fifteen were dementia specialists. Hesitance to use plasma AD biomarkers was due to perceived lack of effective treatments for AD, limited access to supports, and stigma. Plasma AD biomarkers would be more readily adopted by clinicians with dementia expertise. Conclusions Several factors will influence clinical use of plasma AD biomarkers. Some of them may inform the design of interventions to promote the effective and appropriate clinical translation of these tests.