ToolBox Detect: Low Cost Detection of Cognitive Decline in Primary Care Settings

NCT ID: NCT04852601

Last Updated: 2025-02-20

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

41500 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2022-08-25

Study Completion Date

2026-05-31

Brief Summary

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Our study objective is to widely implement and evaluate a user-centered, scalable, electronic health record (EHR)-linked strategy for the routine detection of cognitive decline among diverse primary care settings. This strategy, called ToolboxDetect, will provide an efficient and sensitive cognitive screen that can be easily implemented in everyday clinical settings, and is responsive to patient, family, and caregiver concerns for potential symptoms of cognitive decline (CD) and cognitive impairment (CI).

Detailed Description

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Our study objective is to widely implement and evaluate a user-centered, scalable, electronic health record (EHR)-linked strategy for the routine detection of cognitive decline among diverse primary care settings. We will conduct a large-scale, primary care practice-randomized trial to implement and comprehensively evaluate ToolboxDetect as a standard of care with AWVs, linked to an EHR (Epic). Diverse, academic and community settings are included to optimize future dissemination efforts.

ToolboxDetect is an iPad-based, self-administered assessment that leverages two well validated measures from the NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery: Dimensional Change Card Sorting (for executive function) and the Picture Sequence Memory (for episodic memory). It takes approximately 7-8 minutes to administer, and for practices randomized to the ToolboxDetect arm, this will be used as the practice standard to fulfill the requirement for cognitive testing as part of the Medicare Annual Wellness Visit (AWV).

The aims of our investigation are to:

1. Evaluate the effectiveness of ToolboxDetect, compared to enhanced usual care, to promote timely detection of cognitive decline and its care management.
2. Disseminate and implement ToolboxDetect among a large Federally Qualified Health Center Network and assess its feasibility and acceptability for use;
3. Investigate the fidelity of ToolboxDetect, and identify any patient, caregiver, healthcare provider and/or system barriers to its optimal, sustained implementation;
4. Determine costs associated with implementing ToolboxDetect from a primary care perspective.

Conditions

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Cognitive Dysfunction Dementia

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

SCREENING

Blinding Strategy

DOUBLE

Investigators Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

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ToolboxDetect Strategy

All practices randomized to the intervention arm will implement the ToolboxDetect battery as the standard of care routine cognitive assessment to fulfill the Medicare Annual Wellness Visit (AWV) requirement. The 7-8 minute ToolboxDetect battery contains self-administered versions of the NIH ToolBox Picture Sequence Memory Test (PSM) and the NIH ToolBox Dimensional Change Card Sorting (DCCS). PSM measures episodic memory and DCCS tests executive functioning.

The validated ToolboxDetect application will be imparted either as an application on an iPad or on a PC desktop/laptop computer commonly found in a clinical exam room for EHR access.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

ToolboxDetect

Intervention Type OTHER

The clinician or staff member will identify the patient by either scanning a barcode or entering his/her name, age and medical record number on an administrative screen (allowing for proper routing of test results). After completing the test, a 'submit' button will automatically generate a secure HL7 message, sharing 1) a binary classification of the results ('impaired cognition' or 'normal function'), 2) the quantitative ToolboxDetect score, and 3) brief clinical decision support to rule out any reversible causes. These results will be linked to a discrete, queriable, Epic SmartData element. As patients undergo multiple AWVs over time, ToolboxDetect quantitative scores will be displayed in Epic Synopsis Activity, a graphical display that can visualize trend data (e.g. patient vitals) and calculate a percentage change from the prior year. This will allow a clinician to establish a patient's own baseline (instead of using normative data only) for reference.

Enhanced Usual Care

At Northwestern Medicine, cognitive assessments included in Annual Wellness Visits or other routine or sick/problem-based visits vary by practice and also by clinician. However, the choice of test was limited to either a Mini-Cog©, Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), or Mini Mental Status Exam (MMSE).

While we will not make any explicit recommendations to these practices with regard to their use of a cognitive assessment, we will ensure that 1) any chosen test is linked to an Epic SmartData element, which will allow the clinician to record the results of the test as discrete data (which can then be queried), and that 2) providers receive a compiled list of local medical and non-medical referrals for any detected cases of CI. The Alzheimer's Association recommendations for early detection efforts among primary care practices will also be provided to each clinic's medical leadership.

Group Type NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

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ToolboxDetect

The clinician or staff member will identify the patient by either scanning a barcode or entering his/her name, age and medical record number on an administrative screen (allowing for proper routing of test results). After completing the test, a 'submit' button will automatically generate a secure HL7 message, sharing 1) a binary classification of the results ('impaired cognition' or 'normal function'), 2) the quantitative ToolboxDetect score, and 3) brief clinical decision support to rule out any reversible causes. These results will be linked to a discrete, queriable, Epic SmartData element. As patients undergo multiple AWVs over time, ToolboxDetect quantitative scores will be displayed in Epic Synopsis Activity, a graphical display that can visualize trend data (e.g. patient vitals) and calculate a percentage change from the prior year. This will allow a clinician to establish a patient's own baseline (instead of using normative data only) for reference.

Intervention Type OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

1. Individuals aged 65 and older will be considered.
2. Adults who may or may not have cognitive impairments.
3. Practices affiliated with Northwestern Medicine and Access Community Health Network.

Exclusion Criteria

1\. Severe, uncorrectable vision or hearing impairment
Minimum Eligible Age

65 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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ACCESS Community Health Network

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Northwestern University

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Michael S. Wolf

Professor

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Locations

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Northwestern University

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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United States

Central Contacts

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Michael S Wolf, PhD MPH

Role: CONTACT

312-503-5592

Julia N Yoshino Benavente, MPH

Role: CONTACT

312-503-5585

Facility Contacts

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Julia N Yoshino Benavente, MPH

Role: primary

312-503-5585

Other Identifiers

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R01AG069762

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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