Uncovering Inequities in Alzheimer’s Disease Screening and Care
January 6, 2026 | AI, Alzhimers Education, Komodo, MAPS, RWE
On December 5, MAPS hosted an educational webinar exploring recent research in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) screening, testing, and treatment. Experts from Komodo Health and Medscape shared findings from their recent joint initiative, which used AI-driven analysis of real-world data to map trends in AD care and reveal where key inequities persist.
While new treatments continue to emerge, significant gaps remain in who gets screened, tested, and treated. Many patients, particularly those in higher-risk groups, still do not receive timely or adequate care.
Key Findings
The analysis found gender-based screening rates reflect national underscreening patterns. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data shows only 47% of primary care physicians routinely assess cognitive function in patients age 65 years and older. Men and women are screened at similar rates, yet diagnosis rates differ sharply: 2,620 per 100,000 for females vs1,687 per 100,000 for males.
Racial disparities also surfaced. Black patients, who made up 10% of Alzheimer’s patients, accounted for only 3% of those treated with the second approved DMT, which suggests missed opportunities for earlier detection and intervention.
The Role of Education
Targeted education, including continuing medical education (CME), is a powerful mechanism for change. In a study evaluating a subset of independent medical education programs, clinicians who participated showed an increase in new AD diagnoses that was 1.6x greater than matched controls.1 Post-learning in confidence correlated with real-world behavior change, reinforcing confidence as an early predictor of improved practice.^1
The Growing Need for Action
Today, 7.2 million people in the United States are affected by Alzheimer’s disease, and this number is expected to rise to nearly 13 million by 2050. Globally, that figure is expected to reach 152 million. In this rapidly evolving landscape, clinician education will remain essential to improving awareness of emerging therapies, screening recommendations, and care pathways. As the leading provider of CME for healthcare professionals, Medscape will continue to drive educational initiatives that support earlier detection and more equitable care for all patients affected by AD.
To access the on-demand webinar please visit: https://medicalaffairs.org/webinar-harnessing-ai-and-real-world-evidence-to-advance-alzheimers-screening/
For a full scope on Medscape and Komodo’s Alzheimer’s research please visit: https://education.medscape.org/advancing-alzheimers-equitable-access-with-ai-rwe-maps
*Please note: The webinar is free for MAPS members, a fee for non-members.
About Medscape
Medscape is the leading clinical resource for physicians and healthcare professionals, delivering trusted medical news, evidence-based information, and point-of-care tools—now accelerated by AI. Serving specialists, primary care physicians, and the broader healthcare community, Medscape combines authoritative medical intelligence with powerful educational and clinical decision support tools. Medscape Education (medscape.org) is the premier destination for continuous professional development, offering 30+ specialty-focused channels with thousands of free CME and CE courses. Medscape is a subsidiary of WebMD Health Corp.
About Komodo Health
Komodo Health is a technology platform company creating the new standard for real-world data and analytics by pairing the industry’s most complete view of patient encounters with enterprise software and machine learning to connect the dots between individual patient journeys and large-scale health outcomes. Across Life Sciences, payers, providers, and developers, Komodo helps its customers unearth patient-centric insights at scale — marrying clinical data with advanced algorithms and AI-powered software solutions to inform decision-making, close gaps in care, address disease burden, and help enterprises create a more cost-effective, value-driven healthcare system. For more information, visit Komodohealth.com.
To see more articles like this, follow Komodo Health on X, LinkedIn, or YouTube, and visit Perspectives on their website. Follow Medscape Education on Xand LinkedIn.
For more information about this research, contact Katie Lucero, PhD, at Klucero@medscape.net.
This content was provided by Medscape Education
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