Usability of a Tablet-Based Cognitive Assessment Administered by Medical Assistants in General Practice:...

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Digital Health
• Cognitive Assessment

Background:

• Digital cognitive tests administered by medical assistants (MAs) in general practice offer potential for early dementia identification.
• Successful integration hinges on user-friendly digital tools, especially for older adults with cognitive impairments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the usability of the digital Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) Duo administered by MAs in general practice.
• To identify factors influencing patient interaction and assess suitability for clinical implementation.

Main Methods:

• 299 patients (aged 51-97) with cognitive concerns completed the MoCA Duo in 10 general practices.
• Patients and MAs completed digital questionnaires on usability and workload; System Usability Scale and NASA-TLX were used.

Main Results:

• The MoCA Duo demonstrated good usability, with 64% of patients able to perform optimally.
• Higher usability ratings were observed in patients with better MoCA scores and younger age.
• Perceived workload was moderate, with correlations between patient and MA assessments, influenced by MoCA scores and age.

Conclusions:

• The digital MoCA exhibits good usability, suggesting its scores are reliable for cognitive assessment regardless of technological affinity.
• Heterogeneous sample characteristics, specifically cognitive status and age, significantly impact usability and workload.