This section outlines adaptations to the standard administration of the Westmead Post-Traumatic Amnesia (PTA) Scale for use in some clinical contexts, or for patients with certain conditions.
There are some circumstances when standard administration of the Westmead PTA Scale is not possible, so adaptations may be appropriate.
If any of the non-standard procedures are used, mark this clearly on the scoresheet with an asterisk next to the questions which used an adapted administration method. Note in the medical record which adaptation to the standard procedure was made.
Virtual administration of the test
Virtual administration of the Westmead PTA Scale has not been tested for reliability. A major barrier is ensuring there are no prompts or cues available to the patient, either within their environment, on the device they are using, or from people off screen.
While in-person testing is preferred, a potential option in facilities where a skilled assessor is not available is for a local clinician to sit with the patient while a skilled assessor administers the scale remotely, or guides the local clinician through its administration.