Evaluation of the Adaptation and Implementation of a Virtual Psychoeducational Support Group for People with Mild Cognitive Impairment

Background: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is common in older populations, and its prevalence increases with age. Ten percent of older Americans with MCI progress to dementia each year. As dementia is the third most expensive disease to treat, early identification and intervention are critical. Many community clinics, mainly serving those in rural areas, lack resources or interventions for people with MCI. Methods: This quality improvement project used the Relationship of Social Networks and Social Support to Health Conceptual Model to guide the adaptation and implementation of a virtual psychoeducational support group for people with MCI at an academically-affiliated outpatient geriatric clinic. In collaboration with the Alzheimer's Association (AA), an 8-week AA-developed MCI educational support group was adapted to a virtual format and implemented to meet clinic and client needs. Project participants (n=7) included clinic providers (3 geriatricians; 1 social worker); an administrator from the AA (n=1); and clients over age 65 diagnosed with MCI, who received care at the clinic and had access to reliable internet and webcam capabilities. Post-implementation surveys sent to group participants, their care partners, and participating providers measured the usability, feasibility, and clients' and care partners' satisfaction with the virtual group. Results: The majority of group participants were male (71.4%) and white (85.8%); they lived in an urban county (85.8%) and had at least a high school education (85.8%). The participants' mean age was 72.3 years, with average MoCA scores of 20.3 (range 18-24) and an average time since MCI diagnosis of 28.4 months (range 1-92). The average weekly group attendance was 4.25 participants (range 3-7). All care partner survey respondents (n=3) found the virtual format easy to navigate and that the program enhanced the care received at the Madsen Geriatrics Clinic. Both group participants and their care partners found the program helpful, particularly connecting with others coping with MCI. Healthcare providers (n=2) found the program usable, feasible, and satisfactory. Conclusions: The virtual MCI psychoeducational support group is usable, feasible, and satisfactory to geriatric clinic clients living with MCI, their care partners, and clinic providers. Future work should examine the utility of virtual support groups, particularly their impact on health and cost outcomes in other outpatient geriatric and neurology clinics. Providing additional resources and early cognitive- behavioral interventions for individuals with MCI is essential to improving executive function and reducing the risk of dementia progression.