Audit to investigate junior doctors' knowledge of how to administer and score the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA).

AIM: To investigate junior doctors' knowledge of how to conduct the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA).

METHODS: A two-part questionnaire was administered to junior doctors at teaching sessions across three New Zealand district health boards. Part 1 investigated prior experience and knowledge of the MoCA. Part 2 tested junior doctors' ability to identify errors in administration and how to score the test. Several weeks later a brief MoCA teaching session was given followed immediately by a repeat questionnaire.

RESULTS: Seventy-one individuals completed the initial audit and 46 did the follow-up audit. The majority of junior doctors carried out the MoCA on a monthly basis. Prior to our teaching session, only 23% of participants had received formal teaching on how to administer and score the MoCA. The majority (89%) of participants thought that the teaching session had improved their ability to conduct the MoCA. Statistically significant changes were seen in participants' ability to administer the trail-making question and to score the example questions of clock faces, naming animals, serial seven subtractions, verbal fluency testing, abstraction and the awareness about the effect of years of education on the MoCA score.

CONCLUSION: Junior doctors administer and score the MoCA but many have not received formal teaching on how to do so. A short teaching session improved their ability to conduct the MoCA and identify errors in administration and scoring.