Rapid Screening for Neurocognitive Deficits in Older Adults Now Available

PRNewswire reports that PAR Inc. has made available an all-digital informant rating scale that enables providers to assess mental status in patients aged 55 to 90, which can help with follow-up determinations, including initiating or referring patients for comprehensive diagnostic tests. PAR's Older Adult Cognitive Screener (OACS) has the advantage of rapid test time, with administration and scoring taking only five to 10 minutes. The questionnaire is completed online by someone close to the patient, while its digital format corresponds well with current telehealth models and allows providers to continue testing even when social distancing is necessary. Test items are aligned directly with the six principal domains of neurocognitive function identified in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition: executive function, complex attention, language, perceptual-motor, social cognition, and learning and memory. They also include a measure of activities of daily living. The OACS also can be administered and scored by nursing staff and clerical staff, and is helpful for clinical psychologists, neuropsychologists, and others who treat older adults clinically in mental health environments, including nursing communities and community mental health centers.