Exploring interest and goals for videoconferencing delivered cognitive rehabilitation with rural individuals with mild cognitive impairment or dementia.

BACKGROUND

Goal oriented cognitive rehabilitation is a promising intervention for individuals diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia due to Alzheimer Disease (AD). Videoconferencing delivered cognitive rehabilitation is a potential avenue for increasing accessibility for rural patients and their families.

OBJECTIVE

First, we were concerned with the accessibility of the treatment for individuals in rural and remote areas. Second, client-centered goal setting was explored by asking this sample about their goals for cognitive rehabilitation.

METHOD: We mailed questions to all active patients with diagnoses of MCI or dementia due to AD of a rural memory clinic and compare features of the responders versus the non-responders. We asked about interest in videoconferencing delivered treatment and about goals for cognitive rehabilitation, which were thematically analyzed.

RESULTS

The responders (N = 25) were similar to non-responders in severity, depression, and caregiver burden. Of the responders, 80% were interested in videoconferencing developed treatment. A thematic analysis coded 95% of responses as amenable to cognitive rehabilitation. Participants' goals were focused on memory, household activities, other cognitive domains, recreation, and higher order tasks.

CONCLUSIONS

This work informs the development of both in-person and videoconferencing delivered cognitive rehabilitation for individuals diagnosed with MCI or dementia.