June is Brain and Alzheimer’s Awareness Month — a chance to examine real-world data that links new treatments to changing clinical behavior.
Part one of a two-part series. Up next: a white paper delving into disparities in treatment and screening.
For years, efforts to screen for Alzheimer’s disease have lagged behind clinical need. Though over 6.9 million Americans age 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s, the disease often goes undiagnosed. Historically, a lack of treatment options have led to limited screening by providers, even though early diagnosis can offer substantial value for many patients. In 2017, the CDC reported that only 47% of primary care physicians included cognitive assessment as part of their standard protocol for adults age 65 and older. For many families, a diagnosis still tends to come late in the disease progression. Yet early detection can provide access to support services, time to plan, and more informed care decisions.
New Therapies, New Incentives to Screen
The inertia may be shifting with the introduction of new treatment options. The 2023 FDA approval of lecanemab (Leqembi) — an anti-amyloid therapy (AAT) and the first approved treatment shown to reduce the rate of disease progression for early Alzheimer’s — marked a turning point. This was followed by Donanemab (Kisunla), which received FDA Breakthrough Therapy designation in 2024. Together, these therapies represent a new clinical pathway for slowing disease progression.
To understand how care is evolving in response to these approvals, we analyzed national screening trends surrounding the 2023 launch of Leqembi. Using our MapLab® platform and our Healthcare Map®, which tracks the journeys of more than 330 million U.S. patients, we assessed screening rates in the 18 months before and after July 2023. Additionally, we leveraged Medscape Education’s proprietary platform, PULSE — which reaches 95% of validated NPIs — to examine provider engagement between January 2022 and July 2024.
Among patients age 65 and older in that 18 month period:
- Cognitive screening rose by 10%. These structured assessments support early diagnosis and help distinguish Alzheimer’s from other causes of cognitive decline
- Gene and protein biomarker testing increased by 23%. In the same cohort and timeline, more individual patients received tests like APOE genotype and plasma p-tau. While not required for treatment eligibility, these tests help clinicians assess risk and monitor disease progression, reflecting a broader move toward precision medicine
- Amyloid beta pathology testing surged more than 13-fold. In the same cohort and timeline, a far greater number of patients underwent confirmatory testing via PET imaging or cerebrospinal fluid analysis — now a prerequisite for accessing new therapies — signaling a rising demand for DMT
Impact of Clinician Education on Screening
To evaluate how new treatment approvals influence clinician knowledge and education-seeking behavior, we matched 80% of Medscape-registered clinicians who screen, diagnose, and treat Alzheimer’s with Komodo’s Healthcare Map. These clinicians were responsible for the care of 91% of patients in the Komodo cohort.
We examined clinician content consumption, knowledge scores, and confidence ratings in the 18 months before and after Leqembi’s approval. Among the nearly 800,000 healthcare professionals identified as involved in the Alzheimer’s patient journey:
- Consumption of Alzheimer’s-specific independent medical education (IME) increased by 18% among clinicians involved in the Alzheimer’s journey post-approval. In contrast, those not involved in Alzheimer’s care showed a 6% increase
- Screening knowledge showed a 92% relative improvement post-approval. Clinicians scored 26% on screening-related questions pre-approval, which rose to 50% in the 18 months post-approval. Following participation in IME, knowledge scores improved by an additional 26% relative to the post-approval baseline (from 50% to 63%). Knowledge scores reflect the percentage of correct responses on three multiple-choice questions about the topic of Alzheimer’s education
- Clinician confidence in screening rose from 2.58 to 3.07 (on a five-point scale) after IME participation in the 18 months post-approval — a 19% increase. Confidence was self-rated on a scale from 1 (not at all confident) to 5 (very confident) in screening for cognitive impairment
Turning Insights Into Action
Brain and Alzheimer’s Awareness Month highlights the urgent need for improved care, and real-world evidence will play a central role in tracking how new therapies reshape clinical practice. Komodo’s tools allow stakeholders to measure the real-time impact of drug launches, surface care gaps, and drive earlier intervention across all patient populations.
Ongoing clinician education will play a critical role as the standard of care continues to evolve. Recent research has found that independent learning platforms like Medscape Education, which offers timely updates on emerging therapies and changing diagnostic protocols, help providers stay current in a fast-moving landscape. Access to accurate, up-to-date information remains essential for informed decision-making in clinical practice, especially when it comes to recognizing, screening for, and treating early signs of Alzheimer’s disease.
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About Medscape Education
Medscape Education (Medscape.org) is the leading destination for continuous professional development, consisting of more than 30 specialty-focused destinations offering thousands of free accredited CME and CE courses for physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals.
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