(Overall) The population with Alzheimer?s Disease and related dementias (AD/ADRD) globally is expected to nearly triple by 2050. With few effective treatments either to prevent the disease or slow its progression, we are currently limited to managing established disease and minimizing further negative outcomes, at a cost of $200 billion per year. The National Alzheimer?s Project Act (NAPA) was passed with the goal of reducing the burden of AD/ADRD, not just for persons with dementia but also for the society at large, including the social, economic, and health system effects. There are large gaps in our knowledge about how policy-makers, public health planners and healthcare organizations can best prepare for and respond to the broad population effects of AD/ADRD as we await a cure. The proposed Center to Accelerate Population Research in Alzheimer?s (CAPRA) at the University of Michigan will be focused on science that informs government and healthcare organization actions to address the negative impacts of dementia on the health and financial well-being of individuals and the population. Our focus on public policy and healthcare for persons with dementia falls into four inter-related themes: 1) healthcare delivery and policy impact on outcomes and quality of care, 2) diffusion of new technologies, 3) disparities in quality and access to care, and 4) innovative applications of population data that inform allocation of resources and program development. The CAPRA leadership team is uniquely positioned to leverage its own expertise across these themes and the depth of institutional expertise at the University of Michigan across health services, economic, and population research to accelerate and expand population-based observational AD/ADRD research. The overarching goal for CAPRA is that it will serve as a national resource to enable and expand research by current and future leaders in the study of healthcare delivery, economics, and policies to reduce the burden of AD/ADRD locally, nationally, and internationally. To do so, the Center will act as an ?on-ramp? to fast-track junior and established investigators transitioning into AD/ADRD research by funding pilot studies, providing research training and tools, giving access to unique secondary data relevant to AD/ADRD, and developing networks of experts with whom to consult and collaborate. CAPRA seeks to become the leading national resource to promote and accelerate studies that aim to reduce the social, economic, and health burden of AD/ADRD on the population. The research that emanates from this new Center will have real-world implications for health systems, payers, and policymakers as they struggle with designing effective policies to improve outcomes for the growing population with or at risk for AD/ADRD.
(Overall) The societal impact of Alzheimer?s Disease and related dementias is broad. In addition to studies that will lead to prevention and cure, we need to develop new knowledge about how health systems, policy makers and communities can address the needs of people at risk for or with these devastating diseases. The proposed Center to Accelerate Population Research in Alzheimer?s will leverage expertise across disciplines to expand and stimulate multidisciplinary studies that will improve outcomes for the growing population with or at risk for AD/ADRD.
