The objective of KAER Step 2—A for Assess—is to help clinicians detect cognitive impairment and determine whether an individual should receive a diagnostic evaluation for dementia. Cognitive assessment tests are frequently used by primary care providers in a broad range of practice settings as well as by specialists. A range of other health professionals can also take an active role in detecting potential cognitive impairment (e.g., home- and community-based care providers, dentists, pharmacists) and encouraging appropriate follow-up (Doerflinger, 2019; Chen, 2013; Chan, 2019). These tests can be administered by a variety of team members, including nurses and medical assistants, during patient visits. Research has found that training clinical staff to perform the Mini-Cog assessment prepares them to deliver the assessment with high reliability.

Assessment Instruments

Care teams can perform these assessments by using brief cognitive tests and other structured assessment instruments. Structured assessment instruments include:

Brief informant questionnaires that elicit family members’ perceptions about the patient’s cognition.

Brief self-report questionnaires to obtain patients’ perceptions about their own cognition.

If an assessment reveals information that suggests there is cognitive impairment, clinicians should gently disclose that there could be a problem with memory or thinking, and further evaluation is appropriate.

Step 3: Evaluate

See Step 3 of the toolkit—E for Evaluate—for information about the diagnostic evaluation process for individuals who have evidence of cognitive impairment.

For more information about the assessment process and its role within the KAER framework, see the GSA Momentum Discussion Podcast Enhancing Early Detection of Cognitive Impairment.


Assess | Approaches to Implement

Strategies to Assess for Cognitive Impairment | Brief Cognitive Tests | Structured Assessment Instruments | Case Study | Assess References