Validation of the Kimberley Indigenous Cognitive Assessment short form (KICA-screen) for telehealth

• Published in: Journal of telemedicine and telecare 2021-01, Vol.27 (1), p.54-58
• Main Authors: Russell, Sarah, Quigley, Rachel, Strivens, Edward, Miller, Gavin, Norrie, Joan, Craig, Denise, Jordan, Jane, Muller, Reinhold
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Australia; Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples - ethnology; Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples - psychology; Culturally Competent Care - ethnology; Dementia; Dementia - diagnosis; Dementia - ethnology; Humans; Mass Screening - methods; Mass Screening - psychology; Mental Status and Dementia Tests; Native peoples; Prospective Studies; Reproducibility of Results; Telemedicine; Videoconferencing
• ISSN: 1357-633X; 1758-1109; 1758-1109
• DOI: 10.1177/1357633X19860309

Introduction Studies show Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are at increased risk of dementia. Whilst there have been several studies evaluating the use of telehealth for improving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health outcomes, and studies validating telehealth dementia screening tools for the wider community, none have addressed the pressing need for culturally appropriate telehealth dementia screening for this at-risk population. The aim of the study was to examine the utility of using a culturally appropriate dementia screening tool (KICA-screen) in a telehealth setting. Methods A prospective field trial was used to compare administration of the short version of the Kimberley Indigenous Cognitive Assessment (KICA-screen) face-to-face and via telehealth. A total of 33 medically stable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander inpatients/outpatients participated. The stability of the KICA-screen scores, administered face-to-face and via telehealth, for each participant was measured. Results The two test delivery methods showed not only good correlation (Pearson’s r = 0.851; p