Closing the Alzheimer’s diagnosis gap: new research puts people at the centre

As new technologies transform detection and diagnosis, study identifies opportunities to better reflect the needs and experiences of people with dementia and their carers.

TORONTO, Canada — September 28, 2026 — New technologies promise to make Alzheimer’s disease easier to detect and diagnose, but realizing their potential will require more than introducing better tests: how people experience diagnosis must evolve too, according to new research published in BMC Health Services Research. With dementia prevalence projected to nearly triple by 2050, the need for diagnostic pathways that can effectively respond to growing demand is becoming increasingly urgent.

Led by Shift Health, with researchers from Alzheimer Europe and the University of Cologne, the study examined how the needs and experiences of people with dementia and their carers are reflected throughout the process of Alzheimer’s detection and diagnosis. It combined a review of published research with discussions involving people with dementia and informal carers.

“Advances in diagnosis should ultimately translate into a better experience for people. That means making sure they understand what is happening, have a meaningful voice in decisions and get the support they need throughout the process. Technology is changing quickly; we need to make sure the experience of diagnosis changes with it.”

— Ryan Wiley, President, Shift Health

The research identifies opportunities to improve the experience at every stage—from early detection and preparation for assessment to communicating results, making decisions and connecting people with appropriate care and support.

The findings are particularly timely as blood-based biomarkers, AI-enabled assessments and other innovations begin to change when, where and how Alzheimer’s disease is detected and diagnosed. Rather than simply introducing new technologies into existing models, the researchers argue that their arrival creates an opportunity to reconsider how diagnosis works from beginning to end.

“For health systems, this is an opportunity to ask a bigger question: not simply how we adopt new diagnostic technologies, but how diagnosis itself should work. We need to look at the whole process and make sure the way services are designed keeps pace with what technology now makes possible.”

— Youssef H El-Hayek, Senior Director, Shift Health

People with dementia and informal carers contributed directly to the research through Alzheimer Europe’s dementia working groups, bringing the experiences of people navigating diagnosis into the study’s findings and recommendations.

“A diagnosis is about much more than receiving a test result. People with dementia and their carers need to feel heard, understand what is happening and be involved in decisions about what comes next.”

— Dianne Gove, Director for Public Involvement and Ethics, Alzheimer Europe

Four priorities for improving Alzheimer’s diagnosis

The researchers identify four priorities for health systems, policymakers and those developing and introducing new approaches to diagnosis:

• Design services with people affected by dementia, not simply for them.
• Look at the whole experience, from early detection to formal diagnosis to transitions to appropriate care and support.
• Design around people, not technology, so that new tools improve the experience as well as the process of diagnosis.
• Address inequities, so that advances in diagnosis benefit people across different communities and circumstances.

The full study, Person-Centredness in Dementia Diagnosis & Detection: A Scoping Review, is published in BMC Health Services Research and available at: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-026-15544-5

Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge Eli Lilly and Company and Roche Diagnostics for their support as sponsors of this research.

Media inquiries

For further information, please contact:
Youssef H El-Hayek
Shift Health
yhayek@shifthealth.com
+1 416 618 4208