Cognitive screening for illiterate elderly using telemedicine

Abstract

geing is a chief risk factor for developing of multiple diseases in elderly especially neurodegenerative diseases as dementia. Dementia is usually associated with more affection of activity of daily living beside cognitive affection in comparison to mild cognitive impairment (MCI). The life expectancy of population is rising and so on age related disease will increase. The incidence rates of dementia vary between 5 and 10% of age groups between 65 to 90 years old. It is believed that the incidence will duplicate with the middle of 21st century with annual increase near 9% in oldest elderly. While the incidence rates of MCI vary between 15% and 20% in elderly with age 60 years and older with high progressive rates to dementia up to 15% annually. This will have a great impact not only on the patient himself and his caregivers, but also on the economy, so great efforts were paid in order to detect cognitive impairment in early stages. Due to shortage of geriatricians worldwide and during COVID-19 pandemic, telemedicine play an important role to overcome this issue and allow delivery of proper health care services to far rural areas. In 2014, Egypt’s Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics stated that over a quarter of the Egy