ALZHEIMER EUROPE
Celebrating one year of the RADAR-AD Patient Advisory Board RADAR-AD is a collaborative research initiative that explores the potential of mobile and digital technologies to improve the assessment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). RADAR-AD is a European project funded by the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI). RADAR-AD is looking at two very important areas in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), namely functioning and technology: y The term “functioning” refers to the activities a person carries out in his/her daily life. RADAR AD, will look at the impact that having Alzheimer’s disease has on a person’s functioning and how the way in which a person functions may change. y RADAR-AD is also exploring how existing widely-used technology (e.g. smart phones, smart wristbands/fitness trackers, homebased sensors) could be used to measure the changes in a person’s functioning. The project kicked off in January 2019. The involvement of people affected by AD was
Who is involved in this work? The PAB was set up in March 2019, only a couple of months after the project officially kicked off. This was a very important decision as it has allowed PAB members to have input from the very early stages of the project in a timely and meaningful way.
The PAB is composed of people affected by dementia. This includes people with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and carers. Peoa crucial for the project from the early days, ple with dementia who are members of the as they could bring a unique perspective to PAB are all also members of the European the research and could actively and mean- Working Group of People with Dementia and ingfully contribute towards several aspects the supporters/carers involved in RADAR-AD of the project. To involve people affected by are the people who support them in their AD in an appropriate and significant man- PI work with Alzheimer Europe. In addition, ner, RADAR-AD set up an international Patient two men with MCI, both living in the NetherAdvisory Board (PAB) in March 2019. lands, and their wives have joined the PAB. A small group of people with MCI from Greece This work has been led by Alzheimer Europe have also provided feedback to some of the in close collaboration with project partners consultations. and was developed within the framework of Public Involvement (PI). PI is about car- Work of the PAB over its first year of life rying out research ‘with’ or ‘by’ members of the public (e.g. people living with the The work of the PAB is based on a person-cencondition, their carers/supporters and the tred approach whereby each member, after general public), rather than ‘to’, ‘about’ or receiving information about the project and ‘for’ them and should be conducted in such the different opportunities for involvement, a way that it promotes their meaningful and can decide what type and level of involveactive involvement. ment they want to have or is more suitable
RADAR-AD consultation at meeting of European Working Group of People with Dementia, Luxembourg, March 2019
Dementia in Europe 11
