Comparative Research of Alzheimer's Disease Drugs

Conduct a comparative effectiveness clinical trial of medication treatment for behavioral symptoms of Alzheimer's disease in a group of real-world memory care clinics with enhanced access to the Indiana Network for Patient Care.

The overarching goal of this proposal is to enhance the existing information technology infrastructure in Central Indiana to improve the nation's capacity to conduct comparative effectiveness research (CER). Consistent with the instructions in RFA-HS-10-005, the investigators propose to apply these new capacities to a novel CER project evaluating treatment for Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's disease has been identified as a first quartile CER priority. This proposal represents collaboration between the Medical Informatics Program at the Regenstrief Institute, Inc (a world leader in health information technology) and two Indiana University research programs: the Center for Aging Research and the Division of Clinical Pharmacology. These programs have an established track record in research relevant to under-served populations. Thus, this proposal combines considerable investigator, environment, and research strengths to continue to build a novel CER infrastructure in support of the nation's evidentiary CER priorities.

Throughout this proposal, the investigators use the AHRQ definition of CER: the conduct and synthesis of research comparing the benefits and harms of different interventions and strategies to prevent, diagnose, treat and monitor health conditions in real world settings." The investigators also refer to a clinical trial of medication treatment for behavioral symptoms of Alzheimer's disease as the specific CER proposed to demonstrate the potential of our new infrastructure. However, the investigators stress that the enhancements proposed to existing infrastructure would support a broad portfolio of CER across an array of priority conditions. The investigators are also proposing enhancements in our privacy and confidentiality technology that would allow researchers from across the country to access de-identified data in support of CER. In summary, the investigators are proposing to add new CER knowledge on Alzheimer' disease and thereby field test new information technology capacities important to a wide range of CER projects while also increasing our capacity to provide data and opportunities for nationwide CER.

The derivation of meaningful and actionable evidence from CER ultimately depends on capturing relevant, comprehensive and accurate data about treatment decisions, patients' clinical status, their care processes and environment, and the health outcomes they experience and value. Such data must be tracked longitudinally in order to determine temporal relationships, cause-effect paradigms, and the efficacy of specific clinical interventions in the context of other conditions, interventions, and goals of care. At Indiana University and the Regenstrief Institute, the investigators have four decades of experience and a well-documented, world-class clinical informatics and research infrastructure for capturing, storing, querying and analyzing treatment patterns and patients' clinical outcomes.

The maturation of this health information technology is now embodied within the Indiana Network for Patient Care (INPC), a fully-operational regional health information exchange. The investigators are well positioned to expand and leverage this infrastructure in support of local and national multi-site clinical trials in comparative effectiveness. The specific aims of this proposal are to:

1.0 PROSPECT STUDY: Enhance our existing information technology infrastructure to:

1. provide de-identified access to the INPC database for CER work
2. capture, store, and track a broader array of health care outcomes important to patients and their caregivers (e.g. behavioral symptoms due to dementia);
3. support providers' and caregivers' and researchers' increasing need to work in teams by providing new tools for communication and co-management (e.g. collaborative care and research)

2.0 COMET-AD STUDY: Conduct comparative effectiveness clinical trial of medication treatment for behavioral symptoms of Alzheimer's disease in a group of real-world memory care clinics with enhanced access to the Indiana Network for Patient Care.

Eligibility Criteria:
Inclusion Criteria:

* older adults with a diagnosis of possible or probable Alzheimer's disease
* planning to initiate treatment with a cholinesterase inhibitor
* planning to continue care in the memory care practice
* participation by a family caregiver willing to complete the study outcome assessments
* access to a telephone
* ability to understand English-Language survey instruments

Exclusion Criteria:

• prior serious adverse event from the study medications