When it comes to Alzheimer’s diagnosis, getting an inexpensive and early diagnosis is one of the more challenging things to do in the medical field. This can leave both patients and hospitals feeling like they’re fighting an uphill battle against this disease. That’s why every hospital can benefit from this new and innovative Alzheimer’s diagnostic test.
The Current Problem
Currently, the existing methods of diagnosis for Alzheimer’s disease miss the mark in many ways. These tests can be extremely expensive, especially for patients for whom the cost is a barrier to diagnosis. The current tests have trouble detecting essential biomarkers of Alzheimer’s before significant cognitive symptoms begin to appear.
A late diagnosis in an Alzheimer’s patient means that there is already a significant change in their day-to-day life. Not to mention, the harder it is to diagnose the disease early, the more people go without a diagnosis. There are 50% to 80% of patients who suffer from mild to severe symptoms of Alzheimer’s who remain entirely undiagnosed.
The length and cost of diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease are often a significant barrier for many patients. And this barrier also leads to higher costs for society as a whole. Long wait times to get diagnosed, barriers to diagnosis, and expensive tests all add up. Globally, Alzheimer’s costs upwards of ONE TRILLION DOLLARS annually.
The average cost for a complete Alzheimer’s diagnosis can be close to $5,000. The tests include blood work, cognitive tests, brain scans, and physical and neurological exams that can take months or weeks for patients to complete in their entirety, and even with all those tests, an accurate diagnosis is not guaranteed.
The Cognes Solution
Cognes is the solution that every hospital should be looking for. Cognes is currently creating a non-invasive Alzheimer’s test that patients can perform themselves. Cognes uses a combination of facial imaging and cognitive tests to do machine-learning-based analysis. A smartphone app is used to administer the entire test, which frees up time otherwise spent at the hospital.
What is Cognes?
Cognes uses a combination of AI facial images and cognitive assessments to explore the early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. Recognizable changes in the face can observe the effects of dementia changes in the brain. This, paired with cognitive assessments specifically designed with sensitivity to symptoms found in the earliest stages of the disease, can pinpoint the early stages of Alzheimer’s in a way that current tests cannot.
Benefits of Early Diagnosis
It\’s more than just patients who benefit from having an early diagnosis. While families reap many benefits, hospitals will find that a net savings of $10,000 per patient is possible with early diagnosis. When it comes to Alzheimer’s, prevention is the most critical step.
It is estimated that 90% of the older population would seek an early diagnosis if their hospital had this particular test available. Currently, over one million patients require screening in preparation for future research into Alzheimer’s disease.
With the use of preventative measures, 40% of dementia can be prevented, while 30% of mild cognitive impairment risk can be reduced. However, the benefits of early diagnosis can only be realized if the tests can pinpoint the very beginning stages of Alzheimer’s disease.
Why Every Hospital Needs Cognes
Compared to the typical Alzheimer’s disease screening approach, Cognes offers many distinct advantages. Consider how a Cognes diagnosis could benefit both patients and hospitals worldwide.
Cost Efficiency
The financial burden of traditional Alzheimer’s tests doesn’t just fall on the patient but also on the hospital. The hospital may face a significant financial burden due to these costly diagnostic examinations. With Cognes, the need for these particular tests will be significantly reduced. Cognes is a tool that works with patients and hospitals to provide an accurate and early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease with cost efficiency at the forefront of the design.
At-Home Screening
There is currently no means to remotely screen for Alzheimer’s disease, and many of the diagnostic procedures are time-consuming for both the hospital and the patient. Patients now have access to home screening thanks to Cognes, which frees up time for both the patient and the hospital. At-home screening can fit into the workflow of the hospital seamlessly.
Highly Scalable
Because Cognes is so cost-effective, hospitals that utilize it will immediately see a return in terms of cost. The start-up cost of Cognes is significantly reduced by using the at-home screening app and the innovative AI technology that replaces in-hospital tests. Patients who have a financial barrier to diagnosis will also be able to access treatment.
Early Diagnosis
As previously stated, early diagnosis is vital to preventing the worst of Alzheimer’s disease and getting more patients into research trials. The goal of Cognes is to detect Alzheimer’s disease in patients as soon as possible. This early diagnosis benefits both families and hospitals, reducing the cost of care for late-stage patients.
Conclusion
Our current health system works to test and diagnose Alzheimer’s disease to the detriment of patients, doctors, and hospitals. The tests are invasive, expensive, and time-consuming. All three of these facts often keep people from seeking a diagnosis until it’s far too late. And even if they were to seek a diagnosis sooner, the current tests available can’t diagnose Alzheimer’s at its earliest stages.
Cognes is the future of Alzheimer’s diagnosis. This test offers a new and innovative way of looking at Alzheimer’s’ more nuanced perspective. The at-home screening and cost efficiency alone are enough to make it a net benefit for hospitals everywhere. Cognes benefits patients, their loved ones, and the doctors working around the clock to help them with their Alzheimer’s diagnosis.