Tufts Medicine has been selected to participate in the U.S. Early Detection Expansion Program launched by the Davos Alzheimer's Collaborative (DAC)—a national initiative aimed at improving early detection of cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease in primary care settings.
Building on the success of DAC's initial early detection program, this expansion effort will support the implementation of standardized, scalable approaches to identifying cognitive impairment earlier—when intervention, planning and care coordination can have the greatest impact for patients and families.
Tufts Medicine is one of only two U.S. healthcare systems selected for this initiative, alongside University of Utah Health.
Scaling early detection across primary care
As part of the program, Tufts Medicine will pilot DAC's Healthcare System Preparedness (DAC-SP) Early Detection Blueprint across five primary care sites in Massachusetts, representing a range of practices across community and academic settings:
- Family Practice Group
- General Internal Medicine
- MFM Health
- Mill City Medical
- TMCC-Quincy Primary Care
Together with University of Utah Health, the program will span 10 primary care locations nationwide, shifting early detection efforts from single-site pilots to a system-level model designed for sustainability and broad adoption.
The 12-month program, running through the end of 2026, includes seed funding, expert coaching, technical assistance and participation in a national learning collaborative. Tufts Medicine clinicians and teams will work closely with DAC experts to refine workflows, build organizational training capacity and embed early detection into routine primary care practice.
Why early detection matters
More than 6.9 million Americans are currently living with Alzheimer's disease—a number projected to nearly double by 2060. Yet cognitive impairment often goes undetected in primary care until symptoms significantly interfere with daily life.
Early identification can:
- Enable earlier intervention and treatment
- Support patients and families with planning and resources
- Improve care coordination and long-term outcomes
- Prepare health systems for emerging therapies and innovations
By integrating early detection into everyday primary care visits, this initiative aims to normalize cognitive screening and reduce barriers to timely diagnosis.
Tufts Medicine's role
Tufts Medicine's participation reflects its long-standing commitment to innovation, population health and community-based care, as well as its leadership in advancing brain health across the lifespan.
"Early detection of cognitive impairment is essential—not only for patients, but for families and care teams navigating what can be a life-changing diagnosis," said Brent Forester, MD, Chief of Psychiatry at Tufts Medical Center, Psychiatrist-in-Chief and Chairman, Psychiatry, Tufts Medical Center, Director, Behavioral Health, Tufts Medicine and Professor and Endowed Chair, Psychiatry, Tufts University School of Medicine. "It allows us to take a holistic, interdisciplinary approach to dementia care early in the disease journey—bringing together primary care, specialists and supportive services to care for individuals with dementia while also supporting their families. By participating in this national expansion program, Tufts Medicine is helping shape how early detection can be effectively and equitably integrated into primary care, improving outcomes and readiness for future treatments."
Advancing a national model
The DAC U.S. Early Detection Expansion Program is designed to generate practical, real-world insights into what it takes to successfully implement early detection across multiple clinics within a health system. Lessons learned through this initiative will help inform a replicable national model that can be adopted by healthcare systems across the country.
Through this collaboration, Tufts Medicine is contributing to a broader effort to transform how cognitive health is addressed in primary care—bringing earlier answers, better support and hope to millions of patients and families.
About the DAC Healthcare System Preparedness Program
The Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative Healthcare System Preparedness (DAC-SP) Program addresses the readiness of our healthcare systems worldwide for a global aging population, with an initial focus on improving rates of early detection and the timely and accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. DAC-SP applies implementation science methods to turn research breakthroughs into lasting improvements in clinical practice. To accelerate and scale the delivery of cutting-edge treatments and innovations globally, DAC-SP shares learnings and best practices through Learning Laboratory meetings and its Early Detection Blueprint. In collaboration with our partners around the world, DAC-SP serves as a catalyst for transformative improvement within healthcare systems.
