Development of an iPad-based assessment tool for measuring attention and validation in older employees.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, the elderly population has increasingly worked in various workplaces. Hence, measurements to assess the work attention of the elderly has become an important need. OBJECTIVES: The aims of this research project are to develop an iPad-based attention assessment tool, "Shih-Hsu Test of Attention" (SHTA) for work attention, that adopts touchscreen as the medium interface, and to explore criterion-related validity and test-retest reliability of this new attention assessment tool for elders. METHODS: Thirty-one participants aged between 65-85 years were recruited in this study on a voluntary basis. Each participant was assessed two times. The participants completed both the SHTA and Chu's Attention Test (CAT), and the SHTA was used to test participants after three weeks. RESULTS: The analytical results demonstrate that the SHTA has acceptable criterion-related validity (γ= 0.400, p < 0.05*) and test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.920, p < 0.01**). CONCLUSIONS: Our preliminary findings show that the iPad-based auditory attention assessment tool, SHTA, has satisfactory criterion-related validity and test-retest reliability, which supports the use of SHTA as an attention assessment tool for older employees.