Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 Mar;72(3):707-717.
doi: 10.1111/jgs.18696. Epub 2023 Dec 9.

Association between results of an amyloid PET scan and healthcare utilization in individuals with cognitive impairment

Eric Jutkowitz  1   2   3   4 , Peter Shewmaker  1   2 , Cassie B Ford  5 , Valerie A Smith  5   6   7 , Emily O'Brien  5 , Megan Shepherd-Banigan  5   6   8 , Emmanuelle Belanger  1   2 , Brenda L Plassman  9 , James R Burke  10 , Courtney H Van Houtven  5   6   8 , Terrie Wetle  1   2
Affiliations

Association between results of an amyloid PET scan and healthcare utilization in individuals with cognitive impairment

Eric Jutkowitz et al. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2024 Mar.

Abstract

Background: The Imaging Dementia Evidence for Amyloid Scanning (IDEAS) study reports that amyloid PET scans help providers diagnose and manage Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD). Using CARE-IDEAS, an IDEAS supplemental study, we examined the association between amyloid PET scan result (elevated or non-elevated amyloid), patient characteristics, and participant healthcare utilization.

Methods: We linked respondents in CARE-IDEAS study to their Medicare fee-for-service records (n = 1333). We examined participants' cognitive impairment-related, outpatient, emergency department (ED), and inpatient encounters in the year before compared with the 2 years after the amyloid PET scan.

Results: Individuals with a non-elevated amyloid scan had more healthcare encounters throughout the overall study period than those with an elevated amyloid scan. Regardless of the amyloid scan result, cognitive impairment-related and outpatient encounters overall decreased, but ED and inpatient encounters increased in the 2 years after the scan compared with the year prior. There was minimal evidence of differences in healthcare utilization between participants with an elevated and non-elevated amyloid scan.

Conclusions: There is no difference in change in healthcare utilization between people with scans showing elevated and non-elevated beta-amyloid.

Keywords: amyloid PET scan; dementia; healthcare utilization.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

REFERENCES

    1. Watson R, Bryant J, Sanson-Fisher R, Mansfield E, Evans TJ. What is a “timely” diagnosis? Exploring the preferences of Australian health service consumers regarding when a diagnosis of dementia should be disclosed. BMC Health Serv Res. 2018;18(1):612. doi:10.1186/s12913-018-3409-y
    1. Rasmussen J, Langerman H. Alzheimer's disease - why we need early diagnosis. Degener Neurol Neuromuscul Dis. 2019;9:123-130. doi:10.2147/DNND.S228939
    1. Sanchez-Juan P, Ghosh PM, Hagen J, et al. Practical utility of amyloid and FDG-PET in an academic dementia center. Neurology. 2014;82(3):230-238. doi:10.1212/WNL.0000000000000032
    1. Ossenkoppele R, Prins ND, Pijnenburg YA, et al. Impact of molecular imaging on the diagnostic process in a memory clinic. Alzheimers Dement. 2013;9(4):414-421. doi:10.1016/j.jalz.2012.07.003
    1. Grundman M, Pontecorvo MJ, Salloway SP, et al. Potential impact of amyloid imaging on diagnosis and intended management in patients with progressive cognitive decline. Alzheimer Dis Assoc Disord. 2013;27(1):4-15. doi:10.1097/WAD.0b013e318279d02a

LinkOut - more resources