Remote Self-Administration of Cognitive Screeners Prior to a Primary Care Visit: A Preliminary Evaluation of the Reliability and Usability of the MyCog Mobile Screening App (Preprint)

Abstract

Routine cognitive screening is essential in the early detection of dementia, but time constraints in primary care settings often limit clinicians' ability to conduct screenings. MyCog Mobile is a newly developed cognitive screening system that patients can self-administer on their own smartphones prior to a primary care visit, which can help save clinics time, encourage broader screening practices, and increase early detection of cognitive decline.

The goal of this pilot study was to examine the feasibility, acceptability, and initial psychometric properties of MyCog Mobile. Research questions included: 1) Can older adults complete MyCog Mobile remotely without staff support? 2) Are the internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the measures acceptable? 3) How do participants rate the user experience of MyCog Mobile?

A sample of adults 65 years and older (N=51) self-administered the measures remotely on their own smartphones twice within a two-to-three-week interval. After their first administration they also completed a modified version of the Simplified System Usability Scale (S-SUS), and two custom survey items.

All participants in the sample passed the practice items and successfully completed each measure. Findings indicate the MTB assessments measure the constructs well (internal consistency .73 to .91) and are stable over time (test-retest reliability .61 to .71). Participants’ rating of the user experience (MS-SUS= 73.17, SD= 19.27) indicated older adults found the usability of MyCog Mobile above average.

Pilot evidence suggests the MyCog Mobile cognitive screener can be reliably self-administered by older adults on their own smartphones. Participants in our study generally provided positive feedback about the MyCog Mobile experience and rated the usability of the app highly. Based on participant feedback, we will conduct further usability research to improve support functionality, optimize task instructions and practice opportunities, and ensure patients feel comfortable using MyCog Mobile. Next steps include a clinical validation study which compares MyCog Mobile to gold standard assessments and tests the sensitivity and specificity of the measures for identifying dementia.