Oxford Cognitive Screen - Australian version (OCS-AU)

This screening tool can be used by clinicians caring for people who have experienced a stroke. It can assist with treatment planning and rehabilitation.

February 2023 updates

The OCS User Manual and Patient Packs A and B were updated due to an omission in initial versions.

Published: April 2022

The OCS-AU tool has been developed for clinicians caring for patients in acute, subacute and community stroke care.

The OCS provides a visual snapshot of a patient’s cognitive profile. It summarises a person's performance across five cognitive domains:

  • Language
  • Praxis
  • Number
  • Memory
  • Spatial and controlled attention

There are two versions of the tool; versions A and B. These are designed to be used alternately each time a patient is screened.

For further detail about the adaptation process, see our article in the Australian Occupational Therapy Journal.

Licensing requirements

NSW Health holds a statewide licence for the use of the OCS-AU within NSW Health services. Other services wishing to use the OCS or OCS-AU should apply for a licence from Oxford University Innovation.

Resources

User manual

The manual includes instructions on test administration and a scoring reference guide. The same manual is used for versions A and B, as instructions remain the same with different stimuli for some subtests.

Test booklet

There are separate test booklets, for version A and B. Each test booklet requires local updates, annually. Services should print off a copy of each test booklet and laminate them for infection control purposes.

The Word document version is also provided for you to localise the content.

Patient pack

A patient pack is required for each participant, each time a test is administered.

The first two pages are for the examiner to score as the participant completes each subtest. The remaining 10 pages are for the participant to complete during the test. The final two pages in the patient pack are for the examiner to transfer the scores to the easy scoring template and visual snapshot report (wheel of cognition).

NB: Each patient pack includes additional NSW State Stream forms. Please remove relevant pages before administering.

Test booklet examiner amendment template

For subtest three on the OCS-AU, the orientation subtest, some local adaptations are required to the test booklets. You will need to amend the orientation questions to the current year (annually) and for your local town or city.

Broken hearts scoring template

The transparent scoring template guide for the broken hearts test will help with scoring. It can be photocopied onto a heat resistant laminate.

State forms (NSW Health)

The following forms have been developed for local use of the OCS-AU and are available for inclusion in the patient's record.

NSW Health staff should refer to local processes for ordering through Finsbury Green.

TitleSMR Product code
OCS-AU Cognitive Profile 060924 NH700782
OCS-AU Patient Pack Version A 060922 NH700783
OCS-AU Patient Pack Version B 060923 NH700784

Education modules

There are five education modules to support the use of the OCS-AU. Modules A and B are introductory modules suitable for all stroke clinicians. Modules C, D and E provide clinicians who screen cognition with the knowledge and skills required for using the OCS-AU. These modules range in duration from five to 25 minutes.

For all other clinicians, the education modules are available at the Stroke Foundation’s InformMe website.

Background

The Oxford Cognitive Screen (OCS) was developed in the United Kingdom (UK). The authors recommend it is adapted for use outside of the UK.

A team of researchers and clinicians from across Australia, led by the Hunter Stroke Service, developed an Australian adaptation of the OCS, using the OCS Translation and Linguistic Validation Process1. This is known as the OCS-AU, and involved developing cut scores based on Australian normative data.

For further detail about the adaptation process, see our article in the Australian Occupational Therapy Journal.

Contact us

Email the Stroke Network team at ACI-Stroke@health.nsw.gov.au

References

  1. Oxford University Innovation. Oxford Cognitive Screen Translation and Linguistic Validation Process. Oxford: Oxford University Innovation Ltd; 2018.
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