Digital Assessment of Cognitive Health in Outpatient Primary Care: Usability Study

BACKGROUND: Screening for cognitive impairment in primary care is important, yet primary care physicians (PCPs) report conducting routine cognitive assessments for less than half of patients older than 60 years of age. Linus Health's Core Cognitive Evaluation (CCE), a tablet-based digital cognitive assessment, has been used for the detection of cognitive impairment, but its application in primary care is not yet studied. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the integration of CCE implementation in a primary care setting. METHODS: A cohort of participants was recruited from the upcoming schedules of participating PCPs at UMass Memorial Medical Center. Eligibility criteria included individuals aged ≥65 years; ability to read, write, and speak in English or Spanish; no previous diagnosis of cognitive impairment; and no known untreated hearing or vision impairment. Research coordinators collected consent from participants and facilitated the screening process. PCPs reviewed reports in real time, immediately before the scheduled visits, and shared results at their discretion. A report was uploaded to each participant's REDCap (Research Electronic Data Capture; Vanderbilt University) record and linked to the encounter in the electronic health record. Feedback from patients and their caregivers (if applicable) was collected by a tablet-based survey in the clinic before and after screening. Participating PCPs were interviewed following the completion of the study. RESULTS: The screened cohort included 150 patients with a mean age of 74 (SD 7) years, of whom 65% (97/150) were female. The CCE identified 40 patients as borderline and 7 as positive for cognitive impairment. A total of 84 orders were placed for select laboratory tests or referrals to neurology and neuropsychology within 20 days of CCE administration. Before the assessment, 95% (143/150) of patients and all 15 caregivers expressed a desire to know if their or their loved one's brain health was declining. All except one patient also completed the postassessment survey. Among them, 96% (143/149) of patients reported finding the CCE easy to complete, and 70% (105/149) felt that the experience was beneficial. In addition, 87% (130/149) of patients agreed or strongly agreed that they wanted to know their CCE results. Among the 7 participating PCPs, 6 stated that the CCE results influenced their patient care management, and all 7 indicated they would continue using the CCE if it were made available after the study. CONCLUSIONS: We explored the integration of the CCE into primary care visits, which showed minimal disruption to the practice workflow. Future studies will be warranted to further validate the implementation of digital cognitive impairment screening tools within primary care settings in the real world.

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