Frequently Asked Questions
BoCA™ (Boston Cognitive Assessment) is a digital cognitive screening tool that helps evaluate thinking and memory abilities. It's like a comprehensive check-up for your brain health that takes about 10 minutes to complete.
The assessment measures 8 key areas of cognitive function: memory, attention, language, problem-solving, math skills, visual-spatial abilities, orientation, and delayed recall. What makes BoCA™ special is that it uses different questions each time you take it, so you can use it regularly to track changes over time without getting better just from practice.
BoCA™ provides scores that compare your performance to others your age and gender, helping you understand how your cognitive abilities measure up to what's typical for your age group.
BoCA™ is designed for adults 21 years of age and older. It's suitable for anyone who wants to understand their cognitive health, whether you're concerned about memory changes, want to establish a baseline, or are simply curious about your cognitive abilities. The assessment is also used by healthcare providers and researchers to evaluate cognitive function.
BoCA™ evaluates 8 important areas of cognitive function: memory, attention, language, problem-solving, math skills, visual-spatial abilities, orientation, and delayed recall. Each area is tested using scientifically designed tasks that help identify strengths and potential areas of concern.
Yes, BoCA™ has been thoroughly tested and validated by researchers. Multiple studies have shown that it measures cognitive abilities accurately and consistently.
Key findings from research studies:
- BoCA™ results closely match other well-established cognitive tests like MoCA and TICS
- People with known cognitive problems score lower on BoCA™, confirming it can detect cognitive difficulties
- When people take BoCA™ multiple times, their scores remain consistent (showing it's reliable)
- Taking the test multiple times doesn't artificially improve scores (no practice effects)
These studies have been published in respected medical journals and reviewed by other scientists.
The BoCA™ assessment typically takes 8-12 minutes to complete. It's designed to be comprehensive enough to give meaningful results while being short enough to fit easily into your schedule. The exact time may vary slightly depending on how quickly you respond to the questions.
Absolutely! You can take BoCA™ as often as you'd like. In fact, taking it regularly is one of its main benefits. Because the questions change each time, you won't get better scores just from remembering previous answers. This makes it perfect for tracking your cognitive health over time and seeing if there are any changes.
Both approaches are valuable! Taking BoCA™ once gives you a snapshot of your current cognitive abilities. Taking it regularly (like every few months) helps you track changes over time and establish what's normal for you. Many people find regular monitoring helpful for understanding their cognitive health patterns and detecting any changes early.
Don't worry about making mistakes! Everyone makes some errors during cognitive assessments - it's completely normal. The test is designed to account for this, so just do your best and answer as quickly and accurately as you can. Occasional mistakes are part of normal cognitive function and won't significantly affect your overall results.
Your results are available immediately after you finish the assessment. You'll see your scores, how you compare to others your age, and visual charts showing your performance across different cognitive areas. Your results are also saved securely so you can track changes over time if you take the assessment again.
Your BoCA™ results help you understand how your thinking and memory abilities compare to others your age. Here's what the different scores tell you:
- Raw Score: Your actual score on the assessment
- Standard Score: How you compare to others your age and gender. A score of 100 is average, with most people scoring between 85 and 115
- Percentile: Your ranking compared to peers. For example, if you're in the 75th percentile, you scored better than 75% of people your age
Research shows that scores of 26 and above typically indicate normal cognitive function. However, these results should be discussed with a healthcare professional who can help interpret them in the context of your overall health.
No, BoCA™ is a screening tool, not a diagnostic test. While it's a validated medical device, it's designed to help identify potential cognitive changes that might need further evaluation. The results should be interpreted by qualified healthcare professionals who can consider your overall health, medical history, and other factors. BoCA™ is part of a comprehensive evaluation process, not a replacement for professional medical assessment.
Yes, you can easily share your results with healthcare providers. The detailed reports include all your scores, comparisons to age norms, and visual charts of your performance. Many healthcare professionals find these reports helpful for understanding your cognitive health and tracking changes over time. You can export and share these reports in a format that's easy for medical professionals to review.
Yes, your privacy and security are our top priorities. BoCA™ meets strict healthcare privacy standards (HIPAA compliance) and uses enterprise-level security measures. Your data is encrypted, never shared with third parties, and you have complete control over your information. We don't sell or share your data with advertisers or other companies.
BoCA™ works on any device with an internet connection - smartphones, tablets, or computers. It's designed to work with all major web browsers, so you can use whatever device you're most comfortable with. The assessment works best on screens that are at least 4 inches wide.
Yes, you need an internet connection to access and complete the BoCA™ assessment. A standard internet connection (5 Mbps or faster) is recommended for the best experience, but it will work with slower connections too.
BoCA™ is designed to be accessible, but some tasks may be challenging if you have significant vision or hearing impairments. The assessment primarily uses visual and touch interactions. If you have moderate vision difficulties, you may still be able to complete the assessment, but severe impairments could affect your results. We recommend discussing this with your healthcare provider to determine if cognitive screening is appropriate for your situation.
Our support team is here to help! You can reach us at [email protected]. We typically respond within 24 hours during business days. For urgent issues, please include "URGENT" in your email subject line. We can help with technical questions, account issues, and general questions about the BoCA™ assessment.
Healthcare providers can use BoCA™ for cognitive screening, monitoring, and care planning. The assessment can be administered during office visits or sent to patients for remote completion. BoCA™ results provide standardized cognitive data that can inform clinical decisions and track patient progress over time. Many providers use BoCA™ as part of comprehensive cognitive evaluations and for monitoring patients with cognitive concerns.
Yes, BoCA™ can be billed under CPT codes 96132 (neuropsychological testing evaluation) and 96138 (neuropsychological testing evaluation with automated testing). These codes can be used on the same day as office visits. Additionally, the Boston Cognitive Care Plan™ can be billed under CPT 99483 for comprehensive cognitive care planning services. Reimbursement rates vary by insurance provider and geographic location.
Healthcare providers receive comprehensive reports that include raw scores, standardized scores, percentile rankings, and visual displays of performance across cognitive domains. Reports also show longitudinal changes if the patient has taken multiple assessments. The data is presented in a format familiar to medical professionals and can be easily integrated into electronic health records and patient charts.
BoCA™ is well-suited for clinical research due to its validated psychometric properties and ability to minimize practice effects. Researchers can use BoCA™ for longitudinal studies, clinical trials, and cognitive monitoring in various populations. The assessment provides standardized cognitive data that can be easily exported for statistical analysis. BoCA™ has been used in studies involving Alzheimer's disease, COVID-19 cognitive effects, anesthesia studies, and cancer treatment monitoring.
BoCA™ provides comprehensive research data including raw scores, standardized scores, domain-specific performance, response times, and longitudinal tracking data. Researchers can access de-identified aggregate data for study design and can export individual participant data for analysis. The platform supports bulk data export and can integrate with research databases and statistical analysis software.
Yes, BoCA™ can be customized for specific research needs. This includes custom branding, modified assessment protocols, integration with study management systems, and specialized data collection requirements. Researchers can work with our team to develop custom implementations that meet their specific study requirements while maintaining the assessment's validated psychometric properties.
Yes, BoCA™ offers comprehensive integration capabilities through our API platform. We provide RESTful APIs for assessment delivery, result retrieval, and user management. The platform supports single sign-on (SSO), webhook notifications, and custom data exchange protocols. Our integration team works with partners to ensure seamless integration with existing healthcare systems, research platforms, and patient management tools.
BoCA™ provides comprehensive technical documentation including API specifications, authentication protocols, data schemas, and integration guides. The platform is built on modern web standards and supports secure data transmission with encryption and audit logging. Technical support is available for integration partners.
To get started with BoCA™ integration, contact our business development team. We'll schedule a consultation to understand your integration needs and provide access to our developer documentation and sandbox environment. We offer technical support throughout the integration process and can provide custom development assistance for complex integration requirements.