Lessons From the Coronavirus Disease Experience

Objective: In New York City in 2020 the pandemic shut down in-person research. Icahn School of Medicine’s Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center transitioned longitudinal evaluations from in-person to telephone to enhance equity of access. We assessed diverse research participants’ and clinical research coordinators’ (CRC) satisfaction with remote evaluation and examined sociodemographic, cognitive, and behavioral factors that might impact satisfaction. Methods: Data collected: 241 participants with Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) = 0/0.5 (3/2020 to 6/2021). A Telehealth Satisfaction Questionnaire for CRCs and participants was administered at the end of remote evaluations. We compared Telehealth Satisfaction Questionnaire items by CDR and Geriatric Depression Scale. Results: Participants’ mean age was 78.4, 61.4% were females, 16.2% were Hispanic, 17.1% Asian, 15.8% were non-Hispanic black, and 72.6% CDR = 0. Participant satisfaction was high 14.1 ± 1.4 (out of 15) but was lower among those with depression. CRC satisfaction was high 16.9 ± 1.8 (out of 18) but was lower concerning the ability to explain the test battery and interact with participants with CDR = 0.5. Conclusion: Telephone research assessments provide flexibility in a hybrid model. They offer equitable access to research participation for those who do not use computer technology and may promote the retention of diverse elderly research participants.