ORPRN Core Investigator Annette Totten, PhD, is launching a unique new program that is designed to assess the feasibility of using remote training and support for advance care planning (ACP) for dementia in primary care. 

The study, ADVANCE-PC (Aligning Dementia & adVANce Care planning Education in Primary Care), will also determine if primary care practices can identify patients with dementia appropriate for ACP and track whether clinicians engage these patients and families in conversations and planning.

This work is funded through a grant awarded to Dr. Totten from the National Institute on Aging (NIA): the Imbedded Pragmatic Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and AD-Related Dementias (AD/ADRD) Clinical Trials (IMPACT) Collaboratory cycle 2b IMPACT Pilot Grant. The NIA IMPACT Collaboratory Pilot Grant program funds one-year pilots that test non-pharmacological interventions embedded in health care systems to improve care for people living with AD/ADRD and their care partners.

ORPRN intends to work with three primary care clinics to test ADVANCE-PC, delivered using the ECHO model. Each participating clinic will agree to:

1. Have at least three clinicians participate in the six-session ADVANCE-PC ECHO program – including completion of pre-program, session, and post-program questionnaires and a post-program interview
2. Use EHR data to ascertain the number of patients with dementia seen in the clinic by participating clinicians and the number of these patients and/or care partners engaged in advance care planning during a three-month follow-up period

Each clinic will receive $2,000 for participation in this pilot. If your clinic is interested in learning more, please contact ADVANCE-PC project manager Caitlin Dickinson at summerca@ohsu.edu.