Last Updated: April 1, 2025
The Government has pledged £2M to boost new dementia diagnosis research that aims to produce quicker and more accurate results than methods currently available in the UK.
This Government funding allows researchers to incorporate digital assessments in the Real Word Dementia Outcomes (READ-OUT) study. This research looks into how accurate and reliable blood tests are for different groups who have been referred to a memory clinic, with the first participants being recruited earlier this year. With this funding, the READ-OUT study can include online tests that measure memory and thinking and can be completed within 10 minutes.
Researchers believe that combining blood tests with these digital assessments could lead to faster and more accurate dementia diagnosis than the methods currently available which consist of physical pen and paper tests, brain scans and even lumbar puncture.
Dr Susan Kohlhaas, Executive Director of Research and Partnerships at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said, ‘It’s fantastic to see studies like READ-OUT that are already identifying blood tests now including digital cognitive assessments to see if these are an effective way to spot early symptoms of dementia.’
Currently, it can take up to a year for a patient to receive a diagnosis after coming forward with concerns about their memory and thinking. In deprived areas, this wait-time can increase exponentially.
Dr Kohlhaas argues that this long wait time is why this research is so critical. She said, ‘This is simply not good enough [and is] why we need to develop, test and roll out innovative ways of diagnosing dementia within the NHS, to make the process quicker and more seamless for people.’
Why is digital testing for dementia important?
Digital testing for dementia has the potential to give doctors more information when compared to traditional pen and paper assessments. They can inform doctors about how someone is approaching the test rather than simply looking at how quickly and accurately someone can complete it.
Experts say that in the future there is a chance for digital tests taken at home or in a GP surgery to be linked with the NHS app. This would help streamline the process of referrals to a memory clinic, enabling patients to receive a diagnosis quicker and access the support they need without the delays faced today.
Professor Vannessa Raymont, from the University of Oxford, is leading the study and is keen to promote the opportunity for individuals to get involved. She said, ‘[The funding] is especially exciting given READ-OUT is keen to recruit people who have other health problems and from ethnic groups that we haven’t been able to involve in research before.’
How could combining digital testing and blood tests help diagnose dementia?
By combining these tests with existing methods of diagnosis such as brain scans, people can receive a fuller picture of the condition and hopefully receive the care and support they need more quickly.
Evidence from the study by READ-OUT will offer insight into how digital tests can be used in clinical practice with an aim of implementing the innovation across the NHS.
Dr Raymont said, ‘Our approach will allow us to understand if such a combination of tests could be helpful and cost effective to roll out across NHS memory clinics and beyond.’
Dr Kohlhaas added, ‘A priority for this Government must be to keep up the momentum we’ve seen in dementia research to ensure people in the UK see the benefits of progress that’s being made.’
The READ-OUT study is funded by the Blood Biomarker Challenge, an award given by Alzheimer’s Society, Alzheimer’s Research UK and the National Institute for Health and Care Research. The £2M Government investment, funded by Innovate UK as part of the Government’s Dame Barbara Windsor Dementia Goals Programme, builds on over £5M that’s already been invested into similar dementia studies funded by the Blood Biomarker Challenge.
You can ready more about the study here. If you or a loved one are affected by dementia, you can learn more about living with dementia here.
