Management of dementia risk factors by memory clinic patients and professionals: Pilot study of the BreinZorg (BrainCare) online platform

BackgroundBrain-healthy lifestyle changes could help reduce dementia risk in individuals with subjective cognitive decline (SCD) or mild cognitive impairment (MCI), but patients and clinicians in memory clinics often lack practical tools to support this.ObjectiveTo explore the acceptability and usability of BreinZorg (English: BrainCare) in a memory clinic setting. BreinZorg is a co-created prototype consisting of a self-management website and hardcopy conversation aid providing dementia risk reduction information.MethodsThe website includes a lifestyle assessment, personalized module recommendations, practical information on 16 modifiable dementia risk and protective factors (e.g., smoking, sleep) and a goal-setting feature. The hardcopy conversation aid briefly outlines these factors to support clinical risk reduction discussions. This study used semi-structured interviews based on the Program Participation Questionnaire and think-aloud sessions, which were analyzed through thematic content analysis. Participants were individuals with self-reported SCD or MCI (n = 19) and memory clinic professionals (n = 9), i.e., nurses/nurse practitioners, physicians/medical specialists and neuropsychologists.ResultsBreinZorg was generally considered useful, trustworthy, easy to use, and applicable in clinical contexts. The platform's accessible design, nonjudgmental tone, and personalization features were appreciated. Some participants with SCD or MCI, particularly those already interested in brain health, desired more in-depth information. A lack of follow-up on personal goals and misaligned module recommendations after the lifestyle assessment were identified as barriers to sustained engagement.ConclusionsMemory clinic patients and professionals evaluated BreinZorg as practical, useful, and acceptable for supporting dementia risk reduction in clinical care. Offering more detailed information, integrating tailored follow-up support, and enhancing personalization may strengthen long-term user engagement.