Outreach Core

Outreach, Recruitment and Engagement Core – Project Summary The Outreach, Recruitment and Engagement (ORE) Core serves as the essential liaison between the ADRC and the community on which it depends for support and participation in ADRD research. A key educational theme for the Core’s community outreach program is the effect of metabolic disease and other vascular risk factors on ADRD onset and progression. In our first cycle of funding, ORE Core efforts led to the enrollment of 583 participants into the Clinical Core, and representation by racial/ethnic underrepresented groups increased from 14% in Year 1 to 20% in Years 3 and 4 – a testament to the strong foundation laid by our early engagement work particularly in the African American community. For the next cycle, the ORE Core has four primary objectives. First, we will develop and deliver new innovative outreach programs to continue to recruit and enroll a diverse cohort of research participants that includes individuals from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, individuals at increased risk for cognitive decline and dementia due to metabolic and vascular factors, and adults with ADRD. Second, we will engage and retain African Americans in ADRC research activities through continued delivery of an established multi-pronged outreach program that provides education, access to resources, and community service; through development of new engagement and education programs focused on brain health, the importance of brain donation, and caregiving education and support; and through new retention programs for Clinical Core participants. Third, we will provide educational programs for health care professionals and the public about early signs, progression, prevention and treatment of cognitive impairment, AD. Finally, we will contribute to the ADRC network by sharing recruitment and education materials developed for minority communities, training modules for staff focused on cultural sensitivity, and metrics from ORE Core programs to inform ADRC priorities in recruitment.