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Brain health navigation in a large integrated healthcare system
Cooper G E, Patton S, Lockridge D, Freeman S W, Drexler D, Wasz K. The journal of prevention of Alzheimer's disease, 2026-01-02
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Alzheimer's Disease is a complex, chronic illness of increasing prevalence in the US and worldwide. The complexity of this illness, and its impact on caregivers make it an ideal candidate for navigation services. The development of billable navigation codes now make it possible to create a financially sustainable navigation program. We describe our initial experience with a brain health navigator program, partnering between primary and specialty memory care, in a large integrated healthcare system. While a number of challenges exist, and careful planning was required, we have successfully implemented a navigation program, enrolling greater than 100 patients in the initial 6 months. Patient and caregiver feedback has been highly positive. We have experienced no significant barriers to reimbursement and when accounting for incremental downstream revenue generation (e.g. MRI, labs), we are forecasting long-term financial sustainability and the opportunity for continued scaling over time.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Cooper G, E., Patton, S., Lockridge, D., Freeman S, W., Drexler, D., & Wasz, K. (2026). Brain health navigation in a large integrated healthcare system. The journal of prevention of Alzheimer's disease. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tjpad.2025.100471
Vancouver
Cooper G E, Patton S, Lockridge D, Freeman S W, Drexler D, Wasz K. Brain health navigation in a large integrated healthcare system. The journal of prevention of Alzheimer's disease. 2026. doi:10.1016/j.tjpad.2025.100471. PMID: 41478833.
BibTeX
@article{cooperg2026-41478833,
author = {Cooper G, E. and Patton, S. and Lockridge, D. and Freeman S, W. and Drexler, D. and Wasz, K.},
title = {{Brain health navigation in a large integrated healthcare system}},
journal = {The journal of prevention of Alzheimer's disease},
year = {2026},
doi = {10.1016/j.tjpad.2025.100471},
pmid = {41478833},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tjpad.2025.100471}
}
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
- We have experienced no significant barriers to reimbursement and when accounting for incremental downstream revenue generation (e.g.
Why it matters
This report describes a brain health navigator program in a large integrated healthcare system that enrolled over 100 patients in six months with positive patient and caregiver feedback. It addresses care coordination and reimbursement, not treating, curing, or preventing Alzheimer's disease.
Study details
- Participants100
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 35/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on senior author's track record, so that was left out: it earned 34 of the 96 points we could judge it on, which is 35 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (The journal of prevention of Alzheimer's disease) |
| Journal's citation record | 0 / 4 | The Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer s Disease: journal h-index 63 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| 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 | 5 / 5 | 2026 — within 1 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 2 / 4 | 100 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 1 / 7 | Cited 1 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 0 / 5 | 0.5 citations a year over 2 year(s) since 2026 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 4.7× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 0 / 4 | Cited 1 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | OpenAlex's profile for last-listed author Kendall M. Wasz holds only 4 work(s), too few to judge a track record — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | Norton Healthcare: institution h-index 132 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 41478833) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Points | 34 / 96 | Scored on 19 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 34 of the 96 points we could judge it on is 35 out of 100. |
| Total | 35 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1016/j.tjpad.2025.100471
- PubMed: 41478833
- Original source →
- Free full text: The Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer s Disease →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
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