Using a participatory process with diverse and established stakeholders: Developing the National Public Health Roadmap to Maintaining Cognitive Health

According to a recent survey, the major concern of adults living beyond 65 years age was losing their mental capacity. The role of public health in enhancing the physical health of older adults is well-known. However, public health's role in maintaining mental health, particularly cognitive health, is just beginning to be defined. The need for a clearly delineated role of public health comes at a crucial time, given the dramatic aging of the U.S. population, scientific advancements in the role of lifestyle strategies in maintaining cognitive function, and the growing awareness of the significant health, social, and economic burdens associated with cognitive decline. This session describes the methods used and the resulting recommendations of the National Public Health Roadmap to Maintaining Cognitive Health. A participatory approach was used throughout this process, with oversight provided by a steering committee composed of national leaders. Multiple methods were used (an in-person scientific meeting, series of working groups, concept mapping). The working groups generated 41 recommendations. A concept mapping process was then used to organize and visually represent the recommendations. More than 130 individuals, representing public health, aging, and Alzheimer's disease, participated. The final concept map revealed eight clusters: disseminating information, knowledge translation, policy implementation, surveillance systems, measurement, research translation, new intervention research, and capacity development. In the final step, members of the steering committee reviewed and interpreted the maps and selected a set of priority recommendations. The roadmap provides a set of recommendations to move cognitive health into public health practice.