title: Discriminating cognitive screening and cognitive testing from neuropsychological assessment: implications for professional practice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To provide clarification on the distinction between cognitive screening, cognitive testing, and neuropsychological assessment and highlight practical implications.
  
  
  METHODS
  Non-systematic brief clinical review.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There is a present lack of explicit distinction between the various levels of measurement of cognitive functioning with regard to goals, indications for use, levels of complexity, and outcome. There is also a lack of guidance regarding the identification of who should be responsible for the administration and interpretation at each level.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a growing awareness of the importance of cognitive health and disability, and of the importance of measurement of cognitive functions across the lifespan. For example, cognitive screening has been mandated by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, and language contained within new psychiatric diagnostic criteria and healthcare regulatory changes reflect increased consideration of the importance of measurement of cognition. Changes such as these necessitate greater clarity on this important issue as it bears implications for professional practice, which ranges from education and training competencies, practice standards, and the way that neuropsychologists clarify and advocate for the value of specialty referrals for comprehensive assessment in a competitive and ever-changing healthcare market.
authors.affiliation: a Section of Neurobehavioral Health, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health , The Ohio State University , Columbus , OH , USA.
authors.forename: Cady K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Block
authors.affiliation: b Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation , University of Miami Miller School of Medicine , Miami , FL , USA.
authors.forename: Doug
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Johnson-Greene
authors.affiliation: c Department of Psychiatry , University of Illinois at Chicago , Chicago , IL , USA.
authors.forename: Neil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pliskin
authors.affiliation: d Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation , The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston , Houston , TX , USA.
authors.forename: Corwin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Boake
mesh_terms: D003071:Cognition; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D000072141:Neurologists; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011364:Professional Practice; D011584:Psychology
keywords: Cognitive screening; clinical neuropsychologist; cognitive testing; neuropsychological assessment; neuropsychologist