Decisions With Patients and Families Regarding Aducanumab in Alzheimer Disease, With Recommendations for Consent
Winston Chiong, Benjamin David Tolchin, Richard J. Bonnie, Katharina M. Busl, Salvador Cruz-Flores, Leon G. Epstein, Ericka P. Greene, Judy Illes, Matthew Kirschen, Daniel G. Larriviere, Sneha Mantri, Michael A. Rubin, Barney J. Stern, Lynne P. Taylor
Abstract
Alzheimer disease (AD) is a feared and stigmatized condition, with relentlessly progressive impact not only on the independence and health of people with dementia, but also on the health and financial well-being of their families, and the overall health care system and society. Further research towards effective treatment for AD is urgently needed, and patients with AD deserve more support from clinicians and from their communities. One essential condition of this support is trust. Whereas it is important to offer hope to patients and families, these efforts will ring hollow if trust is lost. Neurologists and others who serve patients and the broader public health must continually ask: Are the statements and actions of our profession worthy of the trust placed in us by patients and the public?