Table 1 The societal challenges encountered by the Brain Health Service model and accompanying recommendations
Challenge | Recommendation |
|---|---|
A focus on self-referring individuals does not reflect social determinants of brain health | Individualized approaches should explicitly account for social and economic distribution of risk Brain Health Services should commit to wider work with communities to address social and economic determinants of health |
Individualized risk reduction strategies face significant psycho-social barriers to implementation | Measures to reduce risk should recognize the importance of changing environments, rather than behaviors The evidence for risk reduction should be discussed with individuals contemplating changing behaviors |
Specialist Brain Health Services risk compounding inequalities in access to clinical services | Evidence is needed of the value of extending services to asymptomatic populations in terms of long-term effects on brain health Brain health programs should consider and evaluate their impact on health inequalities |