A new report from the Gerontological Society of America (GSA) summarizes research findings on the readiness of the primary care workforce to adopt digital cognitive assessments (DCAs) for use in the diagnostic process for cognitive impairment and dementia.
While the clinical literature consistently highlights early detection as a critical driver in the management of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, detecting subtle changes in cognitive function remains a challenge. The current reliance on paper-based analog projections introduces a level of subjectivity and coarseness to the data that can miss subtle indicators of decline in the early stages.”
Lisa C. McGuire, PhD, FAPA, FGSA, GSA Vice President of Strategic Alliances and Practice Innovation
He added that emerging evidence suggests that digitizing assessments can improve care across the continuum. By providing detailed information on cognitive trajectories, DCAs can facilitate earlier therapeutic intervention and more coherent care coordination—ultimately enhancing dementia care and improving outcomes for people living with dementia and their caregivers.
This new report, “Advancing Cognitive Care: Clinician Awareness, Attitudes, and Interest in Digital Cognitive Assessments for Cognitive Evaluation,” was informed by surveys of health care providers commissioned by the Global CEO Initiative on Alzheimer’s Disease and conducted in August and September by the American Academy of Physics (GSAAPys 2025). It provides important insights into the integration of digital tools to ease the burden on clinicians and improve diagnostic accuracy. Insights from these investigations revealed both the promise and practical challenges of incorporating DCAs into daily clinical practice and identified key priorities to enable wider adoption.
“The number of undiagnosed cases of dementia underscores the need to modernize how we screen for cognitive impairment,” McGuire said. “This report distills complex feedback from frontline clinicians into reliable insights, helping us prepare primary care teams for a more streamlined and timely diagnostic experience.”
The survey found that nearly nine in 10 AAFP respondents (88%) and nearly eight in 10 (77%) GSA respondents reported using standardized paper assessments. However, the findings indicated that healthcare providers are ready and willing to adopt DCA in their practices, with over 95% of respondents from both groups reporting that they are very or somewhat interested in using DCA in their practice. Furthermore, surveys have documented that clinicians want more support to do so.
Key priorities identified to accelerate the adoption of DCAs include the following:
- Seamless integration into existing electronic health records and workflow systems.
- Guidance and consistency on coding, billing and payer coverage.
- Educational Needs: Practical training, continuing medical education and clinical guidelines to enhance confidence in the selection and interpretation of DCAs.
This new report updates and enhances GSA’s flagship resource, The GSA KAER Toolkit for Brain Health, using the KAER framework—starting conversations, assessing for cognitive decline, assessing for dementia, and referring to community resources—to improve the delivery of brain health care. The GSA KAER Toolkit supports primary care teams in adopting an integrated, interprofessional, and person-centered approach to discussing brain health, detecting cognitive impairment, diagnosing dementia, and connecting individuals to community-based support. The toolkit offers practical strategies, educational materials, and validated clinical tools designed for integration into primary care workflows, while also serving as a resource for educators and students in fields such as medicine, nursing, and social work.
This report on DCAs complements earlier GSA research on blood-based biomarkers as evolving dementia diagnostics and expands the GSA KAER Toolkit to include the latest innovations in diagnostics.
