AHRQ and ASPE outline research priorities as HHS seeks public input to rewrite national Alzheimer's plan
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Summary
AHRQ highlighted digital-health and evidence synthesis work; ASPE said the 2025 prevention/treatment goal will not be met and urged broad public and stakeholder input to update the national plan in 2026 with attention to related dementias and implementation clarity.
Kevin Chaney, senior advisor at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), described AHRQ's health-services research focus, core data repositories (HCUP, MEPS, CAHPS) and a portfolio of digital-health research including early work on large language models (Lab Genie) and webinars showcasing telehealth and patient-facing tools for older adults. He noted AHRQ's budget is roughly $350,000,000 and highlighted upcoming evidence products including systematic reviews that inform federal workshops.
"In 2025, AHRQ convened a national webinar highlighting AHRQ-funded research focused on digital solutions for aging populations," Chaney said, citing projects that use telehealth and integrate patient-generated data into clinical workflows to support older adults and caregivers.
Helen Lamont, from the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE), described ASPE's role as the HHS policy research shop for behavioral health, disability and aging and said the agency will lead efforts to revise the National Plan. Lamont noted the 2025 goal to "prevent and effectively treat Alzheimer's disease by 2025" will not be reached and asked the council for input on whether the plan should be streamlined, expanded, or reframed to better reflect federal and nonfederal activity.
"We see this coming year as a big opportunity and a big job to revisit this national plan," Lamont said, urging public engagement through requests for information and listening sessions and noting the statutorily required update in 2026.
Why it matters: AHRQ's digital-health and evidence-synthesis work shapes what clinical tools and evaluations are available to providers, while ASPE's convening and policy-research role will influence the structure and priorities of the national plan that guides federal and partner activities through 2035.
What the transcript shows: Agency officials described active evidence reviews (including a forthcoming review on medical care for adults with Down syndrome), digital-health pilots leveraging AI and telehealth, and an open process to collect stakeholder input for the 2026 national plan update. Both agencies signaled attention to related dementias and equitable implementation.
Next steps: ASPE said it will gather feedback and produce a 2026 framework; AHRQ has upcoming peer-reviewed products and ongoing grants that the council may use to inform the national plan update.
