Equivalence of Telehealth and Face-To-Face Administration of the Weschler Adult Intelligence Scale Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV)

Abstract

"Telehealth administration of cognitive tests like the Weschler Adult Intelligence Scale Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV) have the potential to significantly increase access to important assessments for individuals in remote locations or where psychological services are limited. However, there is limited empirical evidence for the equivalence of telehealth and face-to-face administration. At present test publishers recommend not administering subtests with stimulus materials that need to be manipulated via telehealth. Therefore, the present study evaluated the equivalence of a telehealth administration procedure of the WAIS-IV with face-to-face administration. This randomised repeated measures design included a sample of N = 28 participants with typical cognitive functioning. The Two One Sided T-Tests (TOST) procedure was used to examine statistical equivalence between administration modes. Results showed that while mean differences were smaller than the standard error of measurement, the TOST procedure indicated that the Full-Scale Intelligence Quotient (FSIQ) and the majority of subtests were no statistically equivalent across administration modes. Overall, these findings show that this telehealth mode of administration is a viable and pragmatic option for remote cognitive testing. However, psychologists are advised to use clinical judgement and be mindful of the benefits and limitations when interpreting scores obtained from telehealth administration. Keywords: telehealth, online testing, test administration, Weschler Adult Intelligence Scale-IV"