"Telepsychometry": A Remote Psychometry Consultation in Clinical Gerontology: Preliminary Study

Abstract

Objective Evaluation of the clinical feasibility of remote psychometric consultation with elderly patients. Methods Remote consultation with six women and four men (average age 87) was compared with a standard consultation. An interview and two psychometric tests were used: the Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE) and the Clock Face Test (CFT), which were administered by a clinical psychologist and controlled by a psychologist observer who remained in the room with the patient. The experimental setting consisted of two rooms linked by a coaxial cable. Each room was equipped with a camera, television screen, and microphone. The clinician was able to operate the mobile camera in the patient's room by remote control. The clinician was assisted by a computer, which helped to focus on standardized points. A video camera recorded the consultation for documentation purposes. Results Decreased performance was observed in the remote versus the standard consultation for both tests (MMSE: p = 0.008; CFT: p= 0.006)....