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Assessing the Preparedness of the Health Care System Infrastructure in Six European Countries for an Alzheimer's Treatment
Hlavka JP, Mattke S, Liu JL.. Rand health quarterly, 2019-05-16
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Plain-language summary
No disease-modifying therapy is currently available for Alzheimer's disease, but therapies are in development, and one may become available in the near future. Based on results from early-stage clinical trials, therapeutic development has focused on the hypothesis that Alzheimer's dementia must be prevented rather than cured, because candidate treatments have not been able to reverse the course of dementia. Thus, current trials target patients with early-stage Alzheimer's disease. Were a therapy to become available, patients could undergo first screening for signs of early-stage memory loss or mild cognitive impairment (MCI), testing for the Alzheimer's disease pathology, and then treatment with the aim of halting or slowing progression to Alzheimer's dementia. An important health systems challenge will arise if this new treatment paradigm bears out in late-stage clinical trials. In the 28 European Union countries, we estimate that approximately 20 million individuals over age 55 have MCI, although most people have not been tested for disease pathology. Thus, when a therapy first becomes available, there would be a substantial number of existing (or prevalent) MCI patients who would require screening, diagnosis, and then treatment as quickly as possible to prevent the progression to full-blown Alzheimer's dementia. This research analyzes the preparedness of the health care systems in six European countries-France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom-to ensure timely diagnosis and treatment of patients if a disease-modifying therapy for Alzheimer's becomes available.
What this study adds
Evidence grade: Low
This analysis argues that because candidate treatments have not reversed dementia, Alzheimer's may need to be prevented rather than cured, with future therapies aimed at early-stage patients such as those with mild cognitive impairment. It estimates about 20 million people over 55 in the EU have mild cognitive impairment and examines whether health systems could handle screening and treatment if such a therapy became available.
Taken from this record’s own fields, not from reading the paper. The grade is assigned from the abstract’s wording; what that means.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Hlavka, J. P., Mattke, S., & Liu, J. L. (2019). Assessing the Preparedness of the Health Care System Infrastructure in Six European Countries for an Alzheimer's Treatment. Rand health quarterly. https://doi.org/10.7249/rr2503
Vancouver
Hlavka JP, Mattke S, Liu JL. Assessing the Preparedness of the Health Care System Infrastructure in Six European Countries for an Alzheimer's Treatment. Rand health quarterly. 2019. doi:10.7249/rr2503. PMID: 31205802.
BibTeX
@article{hlavka2019-31205802,
author = {Hlavka, J. P. and Mattke, S. and Liu, J. L.},
title = {{Assessing the Preparedness of the Health Care System Infrastructure in Six European Countries for an Alzheimer's Treatment}},
journal = {Rand health quarterly},
year = {2019},
doi = {10.7249/rr2503},
pmid = {31205802},
url = {https://doi.org/10.7249/rr2503}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- Based on results from early-stage clinical trials, therapeutic development has focused on the hypothesis that Alzheimer's dementia must be prevented rather than cured, because candidate treatments have not been able to reverse the course of dementia.
Why it matters
This analysis argues that because candidate treatments have not reversed dementia, Alzheimer's may need to be prevented rather than cured, with future therapies aimed at early-stage patients such as those with mild cognitive impairment. It estimates about 20 million people over 55 in the EU have mild cognitive impairment and examines whether health systems could handle screening and treatment if such a therapy became available.
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 43/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomized / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on journal's citation record and institution's track record, so those were left out: it earned 40 of the 93 points we could judge it on, which is 43 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Rand health quarterly) |
| Journal's citation record | — / 4 | No journal record from OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 2 / 5 | 2019 — within 10 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomized / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomization or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 133 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 14.8 citations a year over 9 year(s) since 2019 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 16.1× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 13 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 42 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 1 / 4 | Last-listed author Jodi Liu: h-index 19 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | — / 3 | No institution listed in OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Multicenter collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 0 institution(s) in 0 countries — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 31205802) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Points | 40 / 93 | Scored on 18 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 40 of the 93 points we could judge it on is 43 out of 100. |
| Total | 43 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
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