A – 18 Assessing the Usability of a Digital Cognitive Screening Tool in a Primary Care Setting

Abstract Objective With an aging population and expected increases in cognitive impairment, early detection of cognitive decline is a public health priority. Despite the importance of early detection, cognitive screening remains underutilized in the primary care setting due to time constraints and limited access to efficient screening tools. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usability, acceptability, and technical performance of a short self-administered digital cognitive screening tool in a real-world primary care setting. Method 282 patients completed the digital screening tool as part of a regularly scheduled primary care visit and 129 patients completed usability questionnaires. Technical issues and workflow observations were recorded by research staff and patient feedback was solicited in usability surveys. Results The majority of participants (66.7%) completed the measure without problems, despite some technical issues such as touchscreen sensitivity (18.1%), app freezing (11.7%), and syncing delays (11.7%). Patient feedback was positive: 93.3% rated the app as “easy” or “very easy” to use, and 92.4% reported feeling “confident” or “very confident” using it. 30.4% preferred the app over a clinician-administered screening test, 54.1% had no preference between the two and 15.6% preferred the clinician-administered screening test. 96.2% trusted the results of the app. Conclusion Findings confirm that most patients had an overall positive experience when using a digital cognitive screening tool, suggesting the potential for integrating digital cognitive screening tools into routine primary care.