Published Jul 3, 2014

Adelaide, South Australia – Researchers from Flinders University found that mild cognitive impairment did not affect the ability of older adults to reliably respond to questions about their preferred rehabilitation services following hip fracture. Older adults (aged 65 years and over) represent an increasing proportion of the population with rising expectations for quality health and aged care services targeted to meet their needs and preferences. A recent study, “Cognitive Overload? An Exploration of the Potential Impact of Cognitive Functioning in Discrete Choice Experiments with Older People in Health Care,” published in Value in Health, was among the first to use discrete choice experiments (DCE), a popular method for quantifying preferences, to focus on older people, especially those with cognitive impairment. Through the use of a questionnaire completed by 74 older adults in the acute phase following a hip fracture to determine whether cognition influenced their ability to reliably complete a DCE, the researchers found that in comparison with those with good cognitive functioning, mild cognitive impairment did not influence the ability of older adults to respond reliably. Study co-author Professor Julie Ratcliffe, PhD, from Flinders University says, “This study demonstrates the ability of older adults, including those with mild cognitive impairment, to make reliable choices in relation to the characteristics of care of importance to them, and demonstrates the potential for the wider utilization of DCE methods to elicit treatment and service preferences across health and aged care sectors.”

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