Refer-MCI

The early diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD) is crucial for timely intervention. However, its widespread implementation in healthcare poses a major challenge due to the complexity and time-consuming nature of the cognitive assessments required. In the current German healthcare system, less than 10% of people with a clinical syndrome of Alzheimer's disease are identified in primary care, even when specialists are involved in the assessment.

The Refer-MCI study aims to investigate the potential for specialists to identify patients with suspected mild cognitive impairment (MCI) more efficiently and quickly and refer them to referral clinics. The study will evaluate whether unsupervised digital self-testing using the established neotivCare app can improve referrals in MCI cases as a tool in specialist medical care. 

The use of digital technologies is intended to optimize the referral practice of patients with MCI to memory clinics. The study will examine how digital self-testing tools such as the neotivCare app can improve referral practices, what role biomarkers play in identifying MCI due to Alzheimer's disease, and how these digital tools compare to established tests.

App-based diagnoses of referrals are compared with an S3-based reference assessment in reference clinics. Questionnaires for physicians and patients are collected to identify existing barriers to efficient and timely referrals and to highlight potential improvements through the use of unsupervised digital testing in the patient's own home.