Evaluation of a Digital, Self-Administered, Cognitive Test Battery in Older Adult Patients Undergoing Abdominal Surgery: Nonrandomized Feasibility Trial

TL;DR

A digital cognitive test was tested in older adults before abdominal surgery and found to be feasible and easy to use, though recruitment challenges remain.

Contribution

This study introduces a digital, self-administered cognitive test battery as a feasible alternative for assessing neurocognitive function in older surgical patients.

Findings

The digital test battery demonstrated high usability and acceptability among older adult patients.

No cases of delayed neurocognitive recovery or major neurocognitive disorder were observed post-surgery.

Qualitative feedback from patients and nurses highlighted the test's importance and ease of use.

Abstract

Older adults undergoing surgeries face increased risks of postoperative neurocognitive disorders, which impair cognitive functions. Analog neurocognitive tests are commonly used, but digital tests offer faster, more accessible assessments.

The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of a digital cognitive test battery in older adults undergoing abdominal surgery. Feasibility included estimation of recruitment and retention rates, acceptability, perceived value, and usability of the test. The secondary aim was to explore outcome trajectories of cognition, depression, functional status, and quality of recovery.

This nonrandomized feasibility study measured recruitment and retention rates using patient logs and expanded on these findings in semistructured interviews with nurses. Acceptability, perceived value, and usability were explored through interviews with patients and nurses, and the System Usability Scale (SUS). Cognitive functions were assessed with a digital cognitive test battery (Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer Disease [CERAD] word list learning test, Trail Making Test Parts A and B, Victoria Stroop Test, and Symbol Digit Pairing Test) and the Nursing Delirium Screening scale (NU-DESC), and depression with the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15). Functional status was measured using the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS), and postoperative recovery with the Swedish Quality of Recovery questionnaire (SwQoR-24). Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and nonparametric tests and qualitative data with content analysis.

The test battery was feasible, acceptable, and demonstrated excellent usability. The mean SUS score was 87 (SD 17.9; 95% CI 78.9‐95.2), and all predefined progression criteria were met. Recruitment spanned over 1.5 years, during which 24 patients were included (mean age of 77, SD 6.5 years; range: 63‐90 years; n=13, 54% women). Most patients underwent laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery. Three patients developed postoperative delirium for 1 day only. No patient developed delayed neurocognitive recovery or mild/major neurocognitive disorder at the postoperative follow-up. Qualitative data showed that both nurses and patients regarded the digital cognitive test battery as important for assessing cognitive function and found it easy to use and understand. Nurses reported that recruitment was challenging, partly because not all patients attended a preoperative in-person consultation before surgery.

The digital, self-administered cognitive test battery was found to be feasible, acceptable, and usable in older adults undergoing abdominal surgery. However, recruitment challenges and a small, homogeneous sample limit generalizability and warrant careful consideration in a larger-scale study.

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