Following a systematic review and meta‐analysis, videoconference cognitive assessments got a cautious thumbs up for demonstrating “good reliability and accuracy” to diagnose dementia or mild cognitive impairment. This method marks a viable alternative to the in-person assessment.
The review was published online last week in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
Two studies in particular concluded that virtual cognitive assessments could diagnose dementia with good reliability compared with in-person cognitive assessments. A third study found that there was 100% sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing dementia with videoconference-based cognitive assessments versus in-person assessments. The most common condition to block a positive assessment result was sensory impairment.
This news aligns with the recent and rapid adoption of virtual (for instance, telephone or videoconference) cognitive assessment in clinical practice. As telemedicine and telehealth become more common, a need exists to better understand its accuracy, the authors said.
The primary critical knowledge gap in research, which calls for additional study, involves the yet undetermined accuracy of telephone interviews versus in‐person cognitive assessments.
Review the study here.
