Adaptation and reliability of tests of functional mobility and muscle strength using telehealth for older people with dementia

• Main Authors: Carolina Tsen (Author), Paulo Henrique Silva Pelicioni (Author), Jéssica Bianca Aily (Author), Décio Bueno Neto (Author), Renata Carolina Gerassi (Author), Juliana Hotta Ansai (Author), Grace Angélica de Oliveira Gomes (Author), Larissa Pires de Andrade (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: Brazilian Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology, 2024-05-01T00:00:00Z.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.
• Notes: 2447-2123; 10.53886/gga.e0000087_EN
• Keywords: aged; dementia; exercise test; telemedicine; Nursing; RT1-120; Geriatrics; RC952-954.6; Public aspects of medicine; RA1-1270
• Source: Geriatrics, Gerontology and Aging, Vol 18, Pp 1-10 (2024)

Objective: Adapt functional mobility and muscle strength tests for older people with dementia to be performed remotely in the home environment; determine intra-rater and inter-rater reliability of functional mobility and strength tests for older people with dementia; and correlate the performance on the physical tests executed remotely and the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, which was validated remotely in healthy older people. Methods: We included 43 people with dementia. The Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), TUG, TUG Dual Task (TUG-DT), and 30-Second Sit-to-Stand Test (SST30s) were performed through videocalls. Test performance was documented to facilitate the subsequent determination of inter- and intra-rater reliability. The intra-rater reliability was determined at a 2-week interval from the real-time videocall to analysis of the recording. Results: Intra-rater reliability ranged from good to excellent for all tests performed (ICC 0.862-1.000). Inter-rater reliability values were fair for gait speed (ICC = 0.223), moderate for some of the SPPB items (ICC = 0.706-0.801), good for the SPPB two-foot balance (ICC = 0.860) and the SPPB total score (ICC = 0.831), and excellent for the rest of the tests. Conclusion: Functional mobility and muscle strength tests proved reliable and feasible for remote, at-home assessments of older people with dementia when assisted by their respective caregivers, providing an additional alternative for assessment of this patient population.