Alzheimer Disease or Associated Disorder Clinical Trial
Official title:
Evaluation de la Mise en Place d'un Auxiliaire d'évaluation Dans la Prise en Charge de la Maladie d'Alzheimer et Des Maladies apparentées en France
Context: The French Alzheimer plan 2008-2012 includes the implementation of "disease
managers" or social workers, from the onset of the disease, for every patient with a
diagnosis of Alzheimer disease or associated disorder. However, previous trials evaluating
the efficacy of a systematic intervention for each case from the onset of the disease,
including non complex cases, have shown little evidence.
Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of a social worker to prevent behavioural problem for
patient with a new diagnosis of Alzheimer disease or associated disorder.
Design and setting: Multicentric cluster randomized control trial. Patients from several
memory consultations and specialists (neurologist, psychiatrist or geriatrician) in France
are included.
Intervention: In addition to usual care, patients in the intervention group have systematic
home visits from a social worker and regular follow-ups by phone over a one-year period. This
social worker informs the patient and caregiver, evaluates the needs, gives advices to
prevent complications and is a link between the patient and the memory consultation or the
specialist. Patient in the control group have absolutely no intervention and are followed-up
as usually. In order to not modify the usual care, they have no information on their
participation in this trial before the one-year evaluation.
Main outcome measure: NeuroPsychiatric Inventory (NPI) administrated at one year, which
evaluates frequency, severity and repercussion of several behavioural problems. Secondary
outcomes included disability, cognition, depression, health, quality of life,
institutionalization, and resource use.
n/a