Alzheimer's Center of Excellence Definition: An Alzheimer’s Center of Excellence is a clinic offering high standards of care and support for individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Alzheimer’s Centers of Excellence combine clinical expertise, to help people with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. These centers integrate clinical research findings, perhaps contribute to clinical research. They use disease modifying drugs in appropriate patients with speed and safety. How to Become anAlzheimer's Center of Excellence: AQI.INFORMATION@GMAIL.COM The Certification process for becoming an Alzheimer's Center of Excellence will have you meet rigorous standards, external validation, and demonstrated ongoing impact. Here’s a refined outline with real-world parallels and best practices: Key Components of a Certification Process 1. See something say something. Can your site name the disease? Do the doctors diagnose Alzheimer’s and disclose? 2. “Door to needle.” Time is brain. So what is the time between "My spouse has memory loss" and first dose of AAT? Time needed to get clinical diagnosis and stage, disclosure, imaging, BW and APOE, then biomarker confirmation. What is this process? At this point, time should be less than 90 days. Cases over 90 days should have documentation for delay (indecision among family and patient, insurance delay for biomarker, lack of follow up, unstable medical conditions, or other assorted chaos.) Slower centers require identification of barriers and delays. 3. Number of people dosed compared with your local community Best way to capture the impact of a clinic, doctor, on the disease within the population they serve. 4. Safety, monitoring, system in place for dosing. What is the system in place for ensuring compliance with: Appropriate use (not dosing people with 20 microhemes) MRI monitoring Regular clinic visits PRN problems with disease, caregivers, IRRs 5. Symptomatic mgmt. Eval for n-psych features. Use of SSRIs for anxiety, depression. ACHE-I in general, not for MCI. Memantine for late disease. Brexpiprazole for FDA approved and appropriate agitation use. Reluctance to use benzos, neuroleptics, and anti-seizure drugs in general for N-psych problems. Knowledge about and checking for anti-cholinergics. 6. Ongoing Performance Monitoring & Improvement 7. Upon certification, allow Centers to display: An official “Center of Excellence” seal. Staff credentialing as AQI-certified professionals. Accreditation status clearly on public materials and digital platforms. Welcome, listed as an AD center of excellence, invited to a webinar to share difficult cases.

We are a group of Alzheimer clinicians interested in improving care for those afflicted with AD, their families, and their doctors.

Safely Implement Anti-Amyloid Treatments Safety concerns for the new anti-amyloid therapies are such that 1) The patients should be made aware of all possible effects of the treatment and 2) Physicians and practitioners should be systematically tracking the administration of the drugs that are interspersed with regularly scheduled MRIs. Any concerns should be brought up immediately, communication is key to the success of these new therapeutics. Anti-amyloid therapies are slowing the progression of Alzheimer's dementia, but they are not without risks. The main risk is amyloid-related imaging abnormalities [ARIAs] which can be brain swelling or microhemorrhages in the brain. Because of the possible risk of ARIAs, steps need to be put in place to carefully monitor and manage the patient's progress with the treatments. There are currently 2 FDA-approved ATTs in the United States: lecanemab (Leqembi; Eisai, Nutley, NJ; accelerated approval January 2023, traditional approval July 2023) and donanemab (Kisunla; Eli Lilly, Indianapolis, IN; approved July 2024). These therapies mark a dramatic pharmacologic change for the treatment of mild cognitive impairment and mild dementia due to AD, and they have different infrastructural requirements. ATTs require a more extensive diagnostic, treatment, and monitoring process and increased participation of health care personnel compared with previous therapies (eg, acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, memantine, neuropsychiatric management). It is crucial that AD be diagnosed and disclosed in a timely manner. Initial clinical visits should focus on the clinical stage of the disease, overall health and comorbid conditions, and caregiver support. Later visits should include discussions with patients based on genetic and imaging findings, evidence of amyloid in cerebrospinal fluid samples or positron emission tomography images, and careful and thoughtful selection for therapy which requires informed patient consent. After beginning ATT therapy, individuals with AD require appropriate MRI monitoring, infusion scheduling, ARIA management, and ongoing discussions with physicians to ensure compliance, expectations, and understanding*. What is your plan to safely administer these drugs? Is it a spreadsheet? Is it an app ? Is it paper? What checklists are in place prior to the first dose? The paradigm shift associated with the emergence of ATTs has created the need for new clinical systems and workflows, interdisciplinary teams, and technical expertise for effective ATT administration. Treating physicians find themselves in various stages of motivation and readiness; however, individuals and families interested in pursuing ATT are often placed on a waiting list. In this article, we describe the components of an optimal ATT program, including workflow, staffing, oversight, and billing considerations; flexibility needs; and troubleshooting pointers. An optimal ATT program can help physicians maximize patient wellbeing, autonomy, and safety. Every program should be built for optimal flow while anticipating potential barriers which could disrupt patient care*. *Weisman, D., & Cabral, D. (2025, July 25). Building an infrastructure to administer amyloid-targeting treatments. Practical Neurology. https://practicalneurology.com/diseases-diagnoses/alzheimer-disease-dementias/building-an-infrastructure-to-administer-amyloid-targeting-treatments/36187/

Resources We are providing extra resources to keep you informed about current best practices for Alzheimer's and Dementia treatment. You can download an editable Word Document or a PDF AQI Intake Questions Lecanemab Informed Consent PREVGEN is a Scam Letter to Patients COG Survey Follow Ups to Care Partner Donanemab Informed Consent NEURIVA is a Scam Letter to Patients Intake Survey for Memory Problems Difference Between the Two New Amyloid Therapeutics Cerefolin is a Scam Letter