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SearchCleveland Clinic has introduced the Cleveland Clinic Cognitive Battery (C3B), an innovative tool, technology developed by Cleveland Clinic and licensed to Cleveland Clinic Innovations portfolio company, Qr8 Health. It has shown promising results during its rollout, outperforming traditional screening methods. Zach Eisen, Principal, Ventures, Digital Health & Medical Devices shares his insight on the advancements made.
Cleveland Clinic is implementing a cognitive screening tool called the Cleveland Clinic Cognitive Battery (C3B) for Medicare patients aged 65 and older during their Medicare Annual Wellness Visit. This self-guided test consists of the Visual Memory Test and Processing Speed Test, and the results are automatically added to the patient’s electronic medical record (EMR).
As highlighted in the 2023 manuscript in the journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, the C3B outperforms traditional screening tools in identifying cognitive decline and has shown promising results during its rollout in two Cleveland Clinic hospitals, fitting seamlessly into primary care workflows. The C3B test has been well-received by both patients and healthcare providers due to its ease of use and ability to accurately detect the earliest signs of cognitive decline. It has been praised for its ability to cover cognitive concerns comprehensively and its adaptability to patients of different backgrounds and educational levels. The test has shown consistent results even in distracting settings, indicating its potential for monitoring cognitive function over time. The technology behind the C3B was developed by Cleveland Clinic and has been exclusively licensed to Qr8 Health, a Cleveland Clinic Innovations portfolio company headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio.
Zach Eisen, Principal, Ventures, Digital Health & Medical Devices, stated, “In the realm of healthcare, the need for early detection of dementia remains a crucial yet unmet necessity. What's promising is the progress made by Qr8 Health, aimed at facilitating screening for early detection of cognitive impairment and potentially improving intervention outcomes within primary care.” He goes on to mention, “Qr8 Health, a spinoff from the Cleveland Clinic, is founded on over a decade of clinical research work by Drs. Jay Alberts, Stephen Rao, and their colleagues. This clinically validated and commercially available version of the C3B, called Qr8 Cognition SuiteTM, not only enhances screening effectiveness and accessibility but also champions health equity through its integrated approach within primary care settings."
The C3B test has been rigorously validated and proven to accurately discriminate mild cognitive impairment from healthy aging, outperforming the Mini-Cog© test in primary care settings. High completion rates and consistent results across repetitive testing further highlight the reliability and effectiveness of the C3B in cognitive assessment. Early results from the rollout of the C3B in two Cleveland Clinic hospitals have been encouraging, with 11% of patients without a previous diagnosis of dementia flagged for further evaluation, and a 98% successful completion rate. This demonstrates the practicality and clinical impact of integrating the C3B into routine primary care practices.
Given the positive initial results, Cleveland Clinic primary care providers, geriatric and neurology specialists, as well as the EMR support and C3B teams are working collaboratively to standardize and streamline further testing and referral protocols. This ongoing collaboration underscores the commitment to continuously improve the integration of cognitive screening into primary care workflows to improve patient care and outcomes.
Read the full article via Cleveland Clinic Newsroom.
