November 12, 2025
12:00PM - 1:00PM

Meeting the Need: Alzheimer's Disease in Rural America

Zoom

A special APA Looking Beyond limited webinar series focused on Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) across populations. Despite being at a heightened risk for ADRD, residents of rural communities may lack access to specialists and resources in their vicinity.

In a survey from the Alzheimer’s Association, nearly three-quarters (71%) of primary care physician respondents said there were not enough dementia care specialists to meet demand in rural areas (2020). Factors such as social isolation, socioeconomic status, comorbid conditions, and fragmented health systems underlie a rural-urban disparity in ADRD (Kramer et al., 2025). One cross-sectional study of more than 70,000 patients with ADRD found that those who lived in a rural area had fewer neuropsychological tests and fewer visits to clinical psychologists compared to patients living in more urban areas (Xu et al., 2022).

In this webinar, expert panelists will explore barriers to Alzheimer’s care and treatment among rural populations and provide practical strategies for addressing social determinants of health.

Learning Objectives:

-Understand rural-urban disparities in ADRD
-Describe the social determinants of health impacting ADRD in rural communities
-Explain the challenges impacting ADRD outcomes in rural areas
-Identify practical strategies to improve ADRD care for residents of rural areas

In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by the American Psychiatric Association (APA). APA is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team. The APA designates this live activity for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.