Primary care can treat brain health like heart health - and AI is making it practical
Primary care already leads prevention for heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Brain health deserves the same seat at the table. With new digital assessments and AI analysis, clinicians can spot subtle cognitive changes earlier and start grounded, proactive conversations with patients and families.
Dr. Julie Wood, senior medical director for clinician engagement at Linus Health and a practicing family physician for nearly two decades, puts it simply: move from reacting to decline to identifying risk early, when action matters most.
From "something feels off" to measurable signals
Short, AI-backed digital screenings can detect patterns in speech, processing speed, and task performance that typical visits or pen-and-paper tests miss. They give clinicians objective data to track over time, establish a baseline, and monitor change - without adding friction to a busy clinic.
Research now links signals from these assessments to underlying Alzheimer's pathology, including amyloid and tau, even before patients or families notice symptoms. That shifts the approach from crisis management to prevention and planning.
Earlier identification changes the care path
With clearer data, primary care teams can triage more effectively: who needs closer follow-up, who may benefit from blood-based biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease, and who should be referred to neurology sooner. For a quick overview of blood tests under study and use, see the National Institute on Aging's resource: Alzheimer's disease blood tests.
This clarity matters for patients and families. It opens space for education, lifestyle changes, risk reduction, and practical planning - the same way we manage ASCVD risk or prediabetes over time.
Scaling specialist capacity - especially where access is limited
Neurology and memory clinics are backed up in many markets. Giving primary care teams tools to complete an initial, objective workup helps specialists focus on complex cases and time-sensitive decisions. Patients land in the right setting faster, with better documentation.
This is especially valuable in rural and underserved communities. More of the right work happens in primary care, fewer unnecessary referrals stack up, and families spend less time waiting in uncertainty.
What this looks like in your clinic
- Define who you'll screen: annual wellness visits, patients 65+, or earlier with risk factors (family history, subjective decline, cardiovascular risk).
- Select a validated, brief digital assessment that fits your workflow and EHR. Aim for administration by MAs or nurses.
- Establish thresholds and pathways: repeat in 3-6 months, add labs or blood biomarkers where appropriate, or refer to neurology.
- Standardize documentation: baseline score, change over time, patient education provided, next steps.
- Close the loop: share results with patients in plain language; invite a care partner when needed; schedule follow-up before they leave.
- Measure impact: time to diagnosis, referral completion, patient satisfaction, and care plan adherence.
Why this hits home for primary care
These conversations are complex and emotional - and they compete with a long list of visit priorities. Digital tools make it realistic to start earlier, keep it preventive, and keep it in primary care where relationships live.
Ten years ago, this level of sensitivity and workflow fit wasn't available. Today, brief digital screenings analyzed by AI can be woven into routine visits and supported by growing evidence - giving clinicians a way to act before function declines.
Guardrails to keep it clinically sound
- Use tools with peer-reviewed evidence and clear performance characteristics across diverse populations.
- Align with privacy, consent, and data security policies; integrate results into the EHR.
- Create feedback loops with local specialists for shared criteria and fast-track referrals.
- Pair testing with patient education on modifiable risks: hypertension, sleep, activity, social engagement, nutrition, and medication review.
Bottom line
Treat brain health like you treat cardiometabolic risk: screen early, track objectively, act on change, and collaborate across teams. The tools now exist to do this in primary care - and patients are better off when we start the conversation before daily life is affected.
If your team is building foundational AI literacy for clinical operations and quality improvement, this directory may help: AI courses by job function.
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