Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42507136›Full record

ReviewZeitschrift fur Gerontologie und Geriatrie2026

Assessing communication in people with dementia : A scoping review of existing tools.

Doris Detter-Biesl, Sebastian Rosendahl Huber, Seda Er, Melanie Karrer

Abstract readReview
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In one paragraph

Review in Zeitschrift fur Gerontologie und Geriatrie, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Doris Detter-BieslDegree Programme speech and language therapy, University of Applied Sciences for Health Professions Upper Austria, Paula-Scherleitner-Weg 3, Linz, Austria. doris.detter-biesl@fhgooe.ac.at.
Sebastian Rosendahl HuberResearch and Development, University of Applied Sciences for Health Professions Upper Austria, Linz, Austria.
Seda ErFaculty of Health Sciences, Department of Nursing, Istanbul Medipol University, Istanbul, Turkey.
Melanie KarrerResearch and Development, University of Applied Sciences for Health Professions Upper Austria, Linz, Austria.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDementia is associated with progressive cognitive decline. Accompanying communication difficulties can negatively influence well-being and participation; however, individuals can retain meaningful communicative resources when adequately supported. Little is known about communication assessments that are usable across different healthcare professions and that address the full spectrum of communication behavior. This scoping review therefore maps available communication assessment instruments for people with dementia.

methodsWe searched Web of Science, MEDLINE, CINAHL, and SpeechBITE for articles published between 2014 and 2024. Data on study characteristics and features of communication assessment tools (CATs) were extracted and synthesized narratively.

resultsA total of 33 articles met the inclusion criteria. They were published in various languages and conducted in diverse settings (e.g., long-term care, outpatient services, acute hospitals). Within these studies, 14 CATs for use with people with dementia were identified. Most tools are applicable across dementia types, whereas some require minimal verbal abilities or are restricted to specific subgroups.

conclusionThe instruments differ in how they conceptualize and assess communication, ranging from communication skills to lived communication experiences. Careful tool selection is required based on assessment goals, target groups and available language versions. Limited language accessibility and insufficient evidence on feasibility across different healthcare professions highlight key gaps for future research.

Indexed as

AlzheimerCognitive impairmentCommunication abilitiesGerontologyMeasurement instrument

Identifiers

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.