National Data Reveals Wide Variation in the Adherence to Basic Cognitive Assessment in Dementia Care
SAN FRANCISCO, March 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Despite broad consensus that patients with dementia should undergo regular cognitive assessments, new data from Motive Medical Intelligence (Motive) shows that many physicians overlook this basic step in dementia care.
More than 6 million adults in the U.S. suffer from dementia, a figure that is expected to rise to 13.9 million by 2060. The economic burden of dementia in America was $344 billion in 2020 and is expected to increase to $3 trillion by 2060.
New insights from healthcare performance analytics company, Motive Medical Intelligence, reveal significant state-by-state variation in whether clinicians conduct the recommended cognitive assessments for dementia patients. This U.S. heat map highlights geographic disparities in adherence to the care standard, with darker shades indicating higher rates of clinicians failing to perform cognitive assessments and lighter shades reflecting stronger adherence to this dementia care standard.
Professional societies, such as the American Psychiatric Association and the Alzheimer’s Association, recommend that doctors monitor their dementia patients regularly by performing a cognitive assessment. But a new analysis by Motive of more than 100 million closed U.S. insurance claims found that many physicians fail to do this assessment even once a year.
The analysis found that physician performance varied widely across U.S. states, with Alaska the poorest-performing state, where 80% of doctors failed to screen dementia patients annually. Other poor performers included Vermont and Hawaii, with failure rates of 65% and 60%, respectively.
High population states such as Texas (38% failure rate), New York (39%), and California (47%) showed modestly better performance, underscoring a significant opportunity to improve care for millions of dementia patients.
Even the best-performing states — Utah (24% failure rate), Delaware (25%), and Nevada (27%) — demonstrated substantial room for improvement.
“Cognitive assessments are easy to perform with simple tests, such as the Mini-Mental State Examination or Montreal Cognitive Assessment,” said Rich Klasco, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, Motive. “These tests measure memory, insight, and other aspects of brain function. Tracking changes in these tests over time can assist patients, families, and caregivers in identifying problems and making informed decisions.”
The evidence base supporting routine monitoring is well established. Studies have shown that regular cognitive assessment improves recognition of functional decline and supports timely interventions. Cognitive testing also plays a central role in advance care planning for transitions of care.
“When clinicians fail to measure cognitive function over time, they lose critical insight into disease progression, complications, and safety risks, denying patients and caregivers the support they need,” said Dr. Klasco. “With millions of Americans currently suffering from dementia and prevalence expected to increase sharply as the population ages, improving adherence to evidence-based monitoring and screening practices represents a clear opportunity to enhance quality, reduce avoidable complications, and support value-based dementia care.”
About Motive Medical Intelligence
Motive Medical Intelligence is redefining healthcare performance analytics with an emphasis on transparency, physician trust, and real-world actionability. Motive is the partner of choice for organizations committed to eliminating low-value care and thriving in value-based care models. Through its proprietary Practicing Wisely solution, Motive is helping the industry eliminate the $400 billion in annual waste in the U.S. health system, advancing the transition to high-value, patient-centered care, and achieving the quadruple aim. Learn more here.
Media: Supreme Communications for Motive Medical Intelligence [email protected]
SOURCE Motive Medical Intelligence
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