Use of the clock-drawing test in a hospice population

BACKGROUND: Cognitive impairment is common in patients with advanced disease and has significant implications for the patient, their carers and hospice staff. The effectiveness of screening tools is limited by a number of factors. The clock-drawing test (CDT) has performed well in other settings but has rarely been studied in the hospice setting. AIM: To assess the performance of the CDT in a hospice population. METHODS: Consecutive admissions to a large hospice over three months were assessed using the CDT, the abbreviated mental test score and brief tests of attention and memory function. RESULTS: One-hundred and nine eligible patients were admitted and 77% took part. Thirty per cent were cognitively impaired. The CDT had a sensitivity of 0.92, a specificity of 0.73 and a negative predictive value of 0.95. No patient refused to complete it. CONCLUSIONS: The CDT performs well as a screening tool for cognitive impairment in a hospice population.