Abstract

Background: Tele-neuropsychological assessments have got a lot of attention as they can be available for older adults in rural areas who have difficulty in accessing medical services. However, to date, their reliability and validity are unclear yet. This study was to investigate the reliability of the tele-neuropsychological assessment using the newly developed Mobile Screening System for Mild Cognitive Impairment (mSTS-MCI).

Method: Sixteen older adults (age: 65–85 years, 11 females) in rural areas participated in this study and were allocated into three conditions. While a primary rater scored subjects' performances on the mSTS-MCI either face-to-face or by health, a secondary rater independently observed the primary rater's administration and scored subjects' performances on the mSTS-MCI in-person or by telehealth in accordance with the conditions. The inter-rater reliabilities across conditions were compared to test differences between in-person and telehealth methods.

Results: The inter-rater reliability of the mSTS-MCI score and reaction time across the three conditions was high, ranging from r = 0.987 to r = 1.000. There were no significant differences in reliability correlations among the conditions (p's > 0.1). Moreover, the absolute mean difference between both the raters revealed no significant differences across the conditions, indicating acceptable accuracy (p = 0.324). On the other hand, all subjects were found to be positive about computer use.

Conclusion: These results indicated the reliability of administering the mSTS-MCI by telehealth, which suggests telehealth could be regarded as a beneficial way for older adults in rural areas.