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Members have new tools for Alzheimer’s diagnosis, cognitive care
May 28, 2025, News Staff — The AAFP this month issued new resources and CME for primary care clinicians working to educate patients about Alzheimer's diagnosis and cognitive care.
Early Alzheimer’s detection with blood biomarkers
Leading these is a May/June FPM supplement titled “Blood Biomarkers and Early Detection of Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias.”
Noting primary care’s vital part in detecting Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD), the supplement’s authors write: “While access to dementia specialists is limited, most Americans with ADRD receive routine care in primary care settings. Thus, integrating blood biomarker testing for AD-related pathology in primary care can provide an accessible pathway for early diagnosis and timely treatment.”
The article identifies several benefits of such testing in the primary care setting, including its
- noninvasiveness and ease compared with cerebrospinal fluid analysis,
- scalability and cost-effectiveness and
- capacity to help family physicians identify high-risk patients early.
The authors add that primary care clinicians may find blood biomarker testing most useful for patients who
- exhibit cognitive impairment with objective deficits on cognitive assessments (even if their impairment does not interfere with daily activities),
- have mild dementia and may be candidates for disease-modifying therapies, or
- have cognitive impairment or dementia with an unclear underlying diagnosis that requires further clarification.
Free CME on Alzheimer’s and related dementia
Cognitive Care in Family Medicine Settings is new, free CME designed to help family physicians effectively assess cognitive concerns, create care plans for newly diagnosed patients and support families navigating ADRD.
An additional new free CME on-demand activity is slated for mid-July. "Advances in Brain Health: Blood Biomarkers (BBMs) in Alzheimer’s Dementia (AD)” is designed to deepen understanding of emerging diagnostic tools. It will be available on the AAFP’s Free CME webpage.
Shared decision-making for Alzheimer’s disease
New on the Academy’s Brain Health hub is the Early Detection of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementia: Shared Decision Making Guidance Tool. Download it for practical, evidence-based guidance, including how to tailor clinical conversations to individual patients.
The resources complement the AAFP Cognitive Care Kit, a suite of tools for family physicians, caregivers and family members caring for people experiencing, or at risk for, Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. Primary care physicians often are the first to recognize signs of cognitive impairment and diagnose dementia. Some 5.8 million Americans have these conditions; experts say that number will climb to 14 million by 2060.
Bilingual patient education on dementia
The Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease Hub on familydoctor.org also has three new elements to inform and guide patients, family and caregivers.
- Alzheimer’s Disease: Signs and Symptoms outlines early cognitive changes to watch for.
- Diagnosis and Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease walks the reader through a possible conversation with a family physician, including the possible use of blood biomarker testing.
- Talking to Your Doctor About Alzheimer’s Disease includes an infographic detailing steps to take before, during and after an ADRD-related primary care consultation.
These resources are available in Spanish as well: