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Effectiveness of collaborative care for older adults with Alzheimer disease in primary care: a randomized controlled trial
Callahan CM, Boustani MA, Unverzagt FW, Austrom MG, Damush TM, Perkins AJ, Fultz BA, Hui SL et al.. JAMA, 2006-05-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Results Initiated by caregivers' reports, 89% of intervention patients triggered at least 1 protocol for behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia with a mean of 4 per patient from a total of 8 possible protocols. Intervention patients had significantly fewer behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia as measured by the total NPI score at 12 months (mean difference, -5.6; P = .01) and at 18 months (mean difference, -5.4; P = .01). Intervention caregivers also reported significant improvements in distress as measured by the caregiver NPI at 12 months; at 18 months, caregivers showed improvement in depression as measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. Conclusions Collaborative care for the treatment of Alzheimer disease resulted in significant improvement in the quality of care and in behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia among primary care patients and their caregivers. These improvements were achieved without significantly increasing the use of antipsychotics or sedative-hypnotics.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Callahan, C. M., Boustani, M. A., Unverzagt, F. W., Austrom, M. G., Damush, T. M., Perkins, A. J., et al. (2006). Effectiveness of collaborative care for older adults with Alzheimer disease in primary care: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.295.18.2148
Vancouver
Callahan CM, Boustani MA, Unverzagt FW, Austrom MG, Damush TM, Perkins AJ, et al. Effectiveness of collaborative care for older adults with Alzheimer disease in primary care: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 2006. doi:10.1001/jama.295.18.2148. PMID: 16684985.
BibTeX
@article{callahan2006-16684985,
author = {Callahan, C. M. and Boustani, M. A. and Unverzagt, F. W. and Austrom, M. G. and Damush, T. M. and Perkins, A. J. and Fultz, B. A. and Hui, S. L. and others},
title = {{Effectiveness of collaborative care for older adults with Alzheimer disease in primary care: a randomized controlled trial}},
journal = {JAMA},
year = {2006},
doi = {10.1001/jama.295.18.2148},
pmid = {16684985},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.295.18.2148}
}
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Key findings
- Results Initiated by caregivers' reports, 89% of intervention patients triggered at least 1 protocol for behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia with a mean of 4 per patient from a total of 8 possible protocols.
- Intervention patients had significantly fewer behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia as measured by the total NPI score at 12 months (mean difference, -5.6; P = .01) and at 18 months (mean difference, -5.4; P = .01).
- Intervention caregivers also reported significant improvements in distress as measured by the caregiver NPI at 12 months; at 18 months, caregivers showed improvement in depression as measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire-9.
- Conclusions Collaborative care for the treatment of Alzheimer disease resulted in significant improvement in the quality of care and in behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia among primary care patients and their caregivers.
- These improvements were achieved without significantly increasing the use of antipsychotics or sedative-hypnotics.
Why it matters
In this randomized trial in primary care, older adults with Alzheimer disease who received collaborative care had fewer behavioral and psychological symptoms on the NPI than the comparison group at 12 months (mean difference −5.6) and 18 months (−5.4); 89% of them triggered at least one caregiver-initiated symptom protocol. Caregivers reported less distress at 12 months and less depression at 18 months, and use of antipsychotics or sedative-hypnotics did not significantly increase. The trial measured symptoms and caregiver well-being, not memory or disease progression.
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Study details
- Participants84
- Effect size79.8%; 55.1%; 45.2%
- Evidence strengthHigh
How this study scored 66/100
Published in a top-tier journal, and it is a randomized controlled trial.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 10 / 10 | Tier 1 — top-tier general journal (JAMA) |
| Journal's citation record | 4 / 4 | JAMA: journal h-index 1,011 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 11 / 12 | A randomized controlled trial (from PubMed type “Randomized Controlled Trial”) |
| Strength of evidence | 5 / 5 | Rated “high” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2006 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| Sample size | 1 / 4 | 84 participants |
| Effect reported | 2 / 3 | Effect reported as a number, without an interval or test |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomized / blinded | 1 / 2 | Randomized (as stated in the record) |
| Times cited | 3 / 7 | Cited 22 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 1 / 5 | 1.0 citations a year over 22 year(s) since 2006 |
| Impact for its field and year | 2 / 6 | Cited 1.5× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 4 / 6 | Cited by 32 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 0 / 4 | Cited 0 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Hugh C. Hendrie: h-index 76 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Indiana University School of Medicine: institution h-index 784 (OpenAlex) |
| Multicenter collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 4 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 16684985) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 66 / 100 | — |
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