Patient and caregiver assessment of the benefits from the clinical use of amyloid PET imaging

Introduction Few studies to date have explored patient and caregiver views on the clinical use of amyloid positron emission tomography (PET). Methods A 7-item questionnaire assessing patient and caregiver views (510 total respondents) toward amyloid PET imaging was advertised broadly through alz.org/trialmatch. Results We received 510 unique responses from 48 US states, 2 Canadian provinces, the Dominican Republic, and Greece. Both patients and caregivers indicated that they would want to receive amyloid imaging if offered the opportunity. Over 88% of respondents had a positive response (∼10% with neutral and 2% with negative responses) to whether amyloid PET should be offered routinely and be reimbursed. Such information was felt to be useful for long-term legal, financial, and health care planning. Respondents identifying with early age cognitive decline (younger than 65 y) were more likely to explore options for disability insurance (P=0.03). Responders from the Midwest were more likely to utilize information from amyloid imaging for legal planning (P=0.02), disability insurance (P=0.02), and life insurance (P=0.04) than other US regions. Discussion Patients and caregivers supported the use of amyloid PET imaging in clinical practice and felt that the information would provide significant benefits particularly in terms of future planning.