Plain English Summary

As a result of social distancing and other Covid-19 restrictions, dementia assessments have moved from in-person to remote testing. In the NHS, various modalities are being used including telephone, video-call and self-complete testing. However, with no guidance on the best approach there is substantial variation in practice. Cognitive assessment is integral to diagnosis, follow-up and research and so the change to remote testing potentially affects tens of thousands of people across the UK. The need for an evidence base to guide clinical practice in remote testing has been recognised by the Royal College of Psychiatry and NIHR. Our group have been approached by the European Academy of Neurology to provide a review to inform proposed guidelines on remote dementia assessment. Through our links with Alzheimer’s Society we have also learned that remote testing is a major concern for people living with dementia. From initial scoping we have identified sufficient studies to allow meta-analyses at the individual test level. If data allow, we will work with NIHR CRSU to create a network that compares accuracy across tests. We have an experienced team working on these reviews, with expertise in test accuracy analyses, strong links with NIHR CRSU and lay representation.