Formation and validation of a telephone battery to assess cognitive function in acute respiratory distress syndrome survivors.

PURPOSE

Describe initial development and validation of a test battery composed of established instruments designed to detect, via telephone interview, cognitive abnormalities in survivors of acute respiratory distress syndrome.

METHODS

Two cross-sectional studies were performed, including the following phases: (1) initial battery construction, (2) feasibility, (3) item reduction, (4) convergent and divergent validity, and (5) telephone administration compared with in-face interviews in a separate population.

RESULTS

There was a broad range of cognitive function detected in the derivation population, and all subjects completed the interview. There was convergence of cognitive impairment with moderate/severe anxiety (P = .008), the Sickness Impact Profile Psychosocial Summary Score (mean difference, 15.3; 95% CI, 7.74-22.9; P = .0001), and the mental health domains of the Short Form 36. Subjects with cognitive impairment had no detectable difference in the physical function domains of the Short Form 36. When administered to the validation population, telephone tests of memory, attention, reasoning, and executive functions had good intraclass correlation with the in-face interviews (P < .01).

CONCLUSIONS

Detection of cognitive abnormalities in acute respiratory distress syndrome survivors using a telephone-administered test battery derived from standard cognitive tests is feasible and has evidence of construct validity. This battery may be useful as a research tool when in-face interviews are not feasible.