Advisory Council Hears Challenges and Barriers to Recruitment for Clinical Trials

The Advisory Council on Alzheimer's Research, Care and Services recently held its first meeting of 2017. Materials from the meeting can be accessed here.

The long-term care and supports subcommittee reported on new content added to the Administration for Community Living's (ACL) website, including brain health information and new FAQs that offer guidance on wandering and exit-seeking. The research subcommittee detailed new funding for studies, an Alzheimer's disease research "scorecard," and updates on the Alzheimer's Biomarker Consortium, in which key researchers build consensus on the best ways to standardize and validate biomarker tests for use in clinical practices. The Clinical Services subcommittee announced a new clinician fact sheet on detection of cognitive impairment at the Veterans Health Administration, and Medicare/Medicaid updates.

In addition to updates from the work groups above, experts testified on the challenges associated with recruiting participants for clinical trials.  Among these challenges are the vast number of participants needed, costs and under-representation of minority and under-served populations, including African Americans and Latinos. Strategies to aid in recruitment include brain registries that educate and pre-screen possible trial participants and targeted outreach efforts.  It was also suggested that government agencies, including the Veterans' Administration, do more to promote and recruit for brain registries and clinical trials.

Also discussed was the "Research Summit on Dementia Care," which will be held October 16-17 at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Md.

The next meeting of the Advisory Council is scheduled for April 17, in Washington, D.C. At that meeting, Advisory Council subcommittees will submit recommendations for 2017 update to the national Alzheimer's plan.