Open AccessOvercoming the COVID-19 Pandemic for Dementia Research: Engaging Rural, Older, Racially and Ethnically Diverse Church Attendees in Remote Recruitment, Intervention and Assessment
Author(s) -
Lisa Kirk Wiese,
Ishan Williams,
Nancy E. Schoenberg,
James E. Galvin,
Jennifer Lingler
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
gerontology and geriatric medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2333-7214
DOI - 10.1177/23337214211058919
Subject(s) - medicine , pandemic , dementia , gerontology , intervention (counseling) , cognition , ethnically diverse , family medicine , health equity , cognitive test , covid-19 , psychiatry , public health , nursing , population , disease , environmental health , infectious disease (medical specialty) , pathology
Background Access to cognitive screening in rural underserved communities is limited and was further diminished during the COVID-19 pandemic. We examined whether a telephone-based cognitive screening intervention would be effective in increasing ADRD knowledge, detecting the need for further cognitive evaluation, and making and tracking the results of referrals.Method Using a dependent t-test design, older, largely African American and Afro-Caribbean participants completed a brief educational intervention, pre/post AD knowledge measure, and cognitive screening.Results Sixty of 85 eligible individuals consented. Seventy-percent of the sample self-reported as African American, Haitian Creole, or Hispanic, and 75% were female, with an average age of 70. AD knowledge pre-post scores improved significantly ( t (49) = −3.4, p < .001). Of the 11 referred after positive cognitive screening, 72% completed follow-up with their provider. Five were newly diagnosed with dementia. Three reported no change in diagnosis or treatment. Ninety-percent consented to enrolling in a registry for future research.Conclusion Remote engagement is feasible for recruiting, educating, and conducting cognitive screening with rural older adults during a pandemic.