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Updated: Dec 17, 2025
A Machine Learning Approach to Design an Efficient Selective Screening of Mild Cognitive Impairment
Published on: January 11, 2020
Accuracy of Telephone-Based Cognitive Screening Tests: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Emma Elliott1, Claire Green1, David J Llewellyn2
1Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, United Kingdom.
Background:
Telephone-based cognitive assessments may be preferable to in-person testing in terms of test burden, economic and opportunity cost.
Objective:
We sought to determine the accuracy of telephone-based screening for the identification of dementia or Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI).
Methods:
Five multidisciplinary databases were searched. Two researchers independently screened articles and extracted data. Eligible studies compared any multi-domain telephone-based assessment of cognition to the face-to-face diagnostic evaluation. Where data allowed, we pooled test accuracy metrics using the bivariate approach.
Results:
From 11,732 titles, 34 papers were included, describing 15 different tests. There was variation in test scoring and quality of included studies. Pooled analyses of accuracy for dementia: Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS) (<31/41) sensitivity: 0.92, specificity: 0.66 (6 studies); TICSmodified (<28/50) sensitivity: 0.91, specificity: 0.91 (3 studies). For MCI: TICS-modified (<33/50) sensitivity: 0.82, specificity: 0.87 (3 studies); Telephone-Montreal Cognitive Assessment (<18/22) sensitivity: 0.98, specificity: 0.69 (2 studies).
Conclusion:
There is limited diagnostic accuracy evidence for the many telephonic cognitive screens that exist. The TICS and TICS-m have the greatest supporting evidence; their test accuracy profiles make them suitable as initial cognitive screens where face to face assessment is not possible.
