The Mental Health Training Program (MHTP) Evaluation & Quality Improvement Lab is pleased to highlight one of its newest program evaluation initiatives: an evaluation of the Cognitive Symptom Management & Rehabilitation Therapy (CogSMART) group offered within the Diablo Service Area (DSA). This project will be presented as a work in progress at the Kaiser Permanente Annual GME SCOPE Symposium, and as a poster with final data at the World Confederation of Cognitive and Behavioral Therapy (WCCBT) Annual Congress in June, marking an exciting milestone for our regional Implementation Science Specialty.
Addressing a Growing Community Need
With a rapidly aging population and improvements in cognitive diagnostic practices, the prevalence of Mild Neurocognitive Disorder (MCI) has risen substantially—now estimated up to 25% of adults in the United States. Many individuals with MCI, or with cognitive changes associated with aging, seek practical strategies to support memory, attention, and daily functioning.
The DSA’s CogSMART program has served this exact need for more than a decade. Adapted from evidence-based cognitive rehabilitation methods, the program offers a six‑week virtual group format focused on compensatory strategies, functional skills, lifestyle optimization, and building confidence in managing cognitive challenges. More than 1,000 referrals have been made to this group over the years, underscoring the high demand for accessible cognitive‑support interventions.
A Quality Improvement Initiative with Real-World Impact
This project emerged from the MHTP Evaluation & Quality Improvement Lab’s mission to strengthen clinical programs through rigorous, implementation-focused inquiry. The team sought to answer several core questions:
- Are participants satisfied with the virtual group structure and format?
- Do patients experience meaningful improvements in perceived cognitive abilities, functional skills, and quality of life?
- How do pre‑existing factors—such as caregiver involvement or baseline cognitive scores—shape outcomes?
To explore these questions, the team examined survey data from participants who attended at least four sessions of the CogSMART series, coupled with caregiver‑rated and self‑reported measures of everyday functioning. This project also establishes a foundation for future research, including evaluating healthcare utilization and long‑term functional outcomes among group graduates.
Collaborative Expertise Behind the Work
The study reflects the contributions of a multidisciplinary implementation science and neuropsychology team, including MHTP trainees Kamini Yadav, PhD, Ashli Perkins MA, and Zhongxiaohe Hu PhD and Principal Investigator Alana Stark, PsyD. This collaboration exemplifies the Lab’s training mission: equipping early‑career clinicians with hands‑on experience in evaluation, data analysis, and systems-level improvement.
International Recognition at WCCBT
The World Confederation of Cognitive and Behavioral Therapy Conference brings together global experts dedicated to translating behavioral science into practice. The acceptance of this CogSMART program evaluation for presentation highlights both the scientific relevance of the findings and the innovative work occurring within our regional mental health programs.
Presenting at WCCBT allows our team to:
- Share lessons learned from delivering evidence‑based cognitive interventions in real-world settings
- Contribute data on scalable virtual group formats
- Highlight Kaiser Permanente Northern California’s commitment to continuous quality improvement
This visibility also opens the door to broader dissemination and potential replication across other service areas.
Looking Ahead
Insights gained from this project will help refine the CogSMART program’s structure, enhance patient experience, and inform future clinical offerings for individuals experiencing cognitive changes. As the MHTP Evaluation & Quality Improvement Lab continues to generate actionable data, projects like this illustrate the meaningful impact that research‑practice partnerships can have on patient care.
Contributed by: Ana Zdravkovic, PhD, ABPP (Portions of the article’s text were generated with assistance from Microsoft Copilot. The author provided prompts and performed all final editing)
