Application of a Decisional Capacity Assessment for Older Research Participants with Cognitive Impairment

Decisional capacity assessment is important for older adult participants who have cognitive impairment. This paper reports the implementation of the University of California, San Diego Brief Assessment of Capacity to Consent (UBACC) and its potential for practice and research. Nine of the 10 items r...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Behavioral sciences 2023-09, Vol.13 (9), p.767
Main Authors: Xu, Ling, Fields, Noelle L., Westmore, Megan R., Daniel, Kathryn M., Troutman, Brooke A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adults
Aged
Alzheimer's disease
assessment
Brief Report
Cognitive ability
Consent
Decision making
decision-making capacity
older adults with cognitive impairment
Older people
Portable computers
Researchers
UBACC
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Summary:Decisional capacity assessment is important for older adult participants who have cognitive impairment. This paper reports the implementation of the University of California, San Diego Brief Assessment of Capacity to Consent (UBACC) and its potential for practice and research. Nine of the 10 items remained to use except for adapting the last item. Approximately 130 older adults with cognitive impairment completed the UBACC screening. Item-by-item descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), group comparisons of each item, as well as total sum scores of the UBACC were conducted. Results showed that the items that were most often answered correctly included item #10 (participant will be paid), item #4 (study is voluntary), and item #5 (can withdraw at any time). Conversely, the items that were most often answered incorrectly included item #9 (not any benefit potentially), item #7 (potential risk or discomfort), and item #6 (tasks during participation). Respondents with mild cognitive impairment had higher correct answer rates than those with advanced cognitive impairment. The UBACC screening tool has relative utility for older participants with cognitive impairment.
ISSN:2076-328X
2076-328X
DOI:10.3390/bs13090767