Early screening for mild cognitive impairment among adults aged 60 and above: A pilot study at a secondary hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
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Background
This pilot study explored the feasibility of early screening for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) among adults aged 60 and above at a secondary-level public hospital in Vietnam, with the goal of assessing tool acceptability and implementation potential in routine care.
Methods
Among 113 individuals approached, 101 provided consent and 99 completed the screening. Thirty participants met the eligibility criteria and were assessed using six validated tools: the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Geriatric Depression Scale-15 (GDS-15), Katz Index of Independence in Activities of Daily Living (Katz Index), Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale (Lawton Scale), and Senior Fitness Test.
Results
The enrollment rate was 89.4%, with a screening completion rate of 98%. The MMSE and MoCA demonstrated acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach’s α=0.72 and 0.68, respectively). The GDS-15 (α=0.71) was reliable for depression screening, while the Lawton Scale (α=0.73) effectively assessed functional independence in instrumental activities. However, the Katz ADL showed a ceiling effect, limiting its sensitivity to early impairments.
Conclusions
The study confirmed the acceptability of cognitive screening procedures and their practical application in a secondary hospital setting. These preliminary findings provide a foundation for future studies on scalability and integration into routine health services.
