Telephone screening of older adults using the Orientation-Memory-Concentration test

C A Dellasega; L Lacko; H Singer; F Salerno

doi:10.1067/mgn.2001.119472

Telephone screening of older adults using the Orientation-Memory-Concentration test

Geriatr Nurs. 2001 Sep-Oct;22(5):253-7. doi: 10.1067/mgn.2001.119472.

Authors

C A Dellasega¹, L Lacko, H Singer, F Salerno

Affiliation

¹ College of Medicine, Pennsylavania State University, Hershey, USA.

PMID: 11606903
DOI: 10.1067/mgn.2001.119472

Abstract

The inability to efficiently screen the cognitive status of homebound elderly patients can hamper clinicians' ability to plan for safe, appropriate care. In this study, the six-item Orientation-Memory-Concentration (OMC) Test was administered to 12 elderly patients during a routine office visit. That same afternoon, each participant was called at home and the OMC repeated by telephone. Test-retest correlation was excellent (Pearson's correlation =.992). Concurrent validity was supported by complete (100%) agreement between the clinicians' subjective impressions of the patients' mental status and OMC ratings. The outcome implies that telephone screening of cognitive status can be reliable.

Publication types

Validation Study

MeSH terms

Aged
Attention*
Cognition Disorders / diagnosis*
Female
Geriatric Assessment*
Humans
Male
Mass Screening / methods*
Memory*
Mental Status Schedule / standards*
Nursing Assessment / methods*
Observer Variation
Orientation*
Telephone*