Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Care: Diagnosis, Support, and Treatment Strategies

Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Care: Diagnosis, Support, and Treatment Strategies

This online course provides physicians with a comprehensive, evidence-based overview of dementia care across the clinical continuum. Participants will explore the epidemiology and major subtypes of dementia, develop practical approaches to early recognition and diagnostic evaluation, and learn strategies for distinguishing reversible causes of cognitive decline. The course emphasizes patient-centered management through both pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic interventions for cognitive and behavioral symptoms, while also addressing the importance of caregiver support, patient safety, and preservation of autonomy. In addition, participants will review emerging therapies and evolving treatment paradigms in Alzheimer’s disease, equipping clinicians with current knowledge to support informed, effective clinical decision-making.

Faculty
Robert O’Connor, MD, CMD
Dr. O’Connor earned his medical degree at Albany Medical College and completed his Internal Medicine residency through Harvard Medical School at Mount Auburn Hospital, where he also served as chief resident. He finished his post-graduate training in Geriatric Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. O’Connor is board certified in Internal and Geriatric Medicine and has practiced across the spectrum of care, including 9 years as a skilled nursing facility medical director. He currently practices primary care in Watertown, MA.

Intended Audience
Primary care providers and other health care professionals.

Course Objectives
Upon completion of this activity, learners should be able to:

• Understand the breadth of dementia presentations and subtypes
• Be able to guide patients and families through the diagnostic process
• Identify and treat dementia-related behaviors
• Understand risks and benefits of both older and newer treatments

Accreditation & Credit Information
Accreditation Statement  
The Massachusetts Medical Society is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

AMA Credit Designation Statement 
The Massachusetts Medical Society designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

This activity meets the criteria for the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine for risk management study.

National Commission on Certification of Physicians Assistant (NCCPA)
Physician Assistants may claim a maximum of 1.25 Category 1 credits for completing this activity. NCCPA accepts AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ from organizations accredited by ACCME or a recognized state medical society.

Course Fees:
Massachusetts Medical Society (MMS) Physician Member: $50.00
MMS Resident/Student Member: FREE
Non-Member Physician: $112.50
Non-Members Resident/Student: $25.00
Allied Health Professional/Other: $40.00

Activity Term:
Original Release Date: May 20, 2026
Review Date(s): N/A 
Termination Date: May 20, 2029

Exam/Assessment: A score of 70% or higher is required to receive AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™.

Format and Estimated Time to Complete: Video recording / 1 hour 15 minutes

System Requirements
Desktops/Laptops
Windows 10
Mac OSX 10.6 higher

Most modern browsers including
IE 11+
Firefox 18.0+
Chrome latest version
Safari 12+

Mobile/Tablet
iOS devices beginning with OS version 10 or higher (includes, iPhone, iPad and iTouch devices)

Policies
Copyright Policy
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Contact Us
Contact us at nejmcust@mms.org  or (800) 843-6356. Massachusetts Medical Society, 860 Winter Street, Waltham, MA 02451.