Other Titles
Delirium Screening, Notification, and Management: A Program Evaluation [Poster Title]
Abstract
Background: Delirium is an acute confusion state associated with poor health outcomes, such as increased mortality and long-term cognitive impairments (Fong & Inouye, 2022; Mattison, 2022; Pereira et al., 2023; Rieck et al., 2019). Hospitalized older adults, ages 65 years and older, and patients with dementia are at increased risk of developing delirium (Mattison, 2022; Pereira et al., 2023). Delirium is prevalent and occurs in 2.6 million hospitalized older adults every year (Fong & Inouye, 2022). Despite the adverse impact of delirium on health outcomes, delirium diagnosis is often missed in routine hospital care. While delirium identification is integral to the management of delirium, effective communication is equally fundamental to patients receiving appropriate care as communication failures result in up to 30% of medical errors (Huang et al., 2023).
In 2023, a medical unit at a Pacific Northwest tertiary hospital only identified three percent of patients with delirium. With the intent of improving delirium identification, the medical unit implemented a new brief delirium assessment tool and notification workflow.
Aims: The aim of this program evaluation is threefold and will determine if 1) bedside nurses routinely completed the new abbreviated delirium assessment, 2) nurses notified providers of a positive screening result, and 3) providers entered the delirium order set.
Details of Evaluation: A program evaluation will be performed to determine the impact of implementing an abbreviated delirium screening tool. The program evaluation will consist of reviewing electronic health records for older adults admitted to a medical surgical unit in a community-based hospital. Data collected will include documentation of delirium screening, provider notification method (i.e. via pager, EMR secure chat, etc.), and subsequent ordering of delirium order set. Data will be collected for three months pre and post implementation of the new abbreviated delirium screening tool. Descriptive analysis will be performed for patient demographics. Inferential analysis will be performed for pre and post implementation data including delirium screening, provider notification and order set entry.
Outcomes: Outcomes of this program evaluation may demonstrate that a brief delirium screening tool increases screening older patients for delirium. Strategies for the most effective communication method to increase delirium order set entry may be identified.
Notes
References:
Fong, T. G., & Inouye, S. K. (2022). The inter-relationship between delirium and dementia: The importance of delirium prevention. Nature Reviews Neurology, 18(10), 579–596. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41582-022-00698-7
Huang, K. X., Chen, C. K., Pessegueiro, A. M., Dowling, E., Dermenchyan, A., Natarajan, A., Krishnan, D., Vangala, S. S., & Simon, W. M. (2023). Physician behaviors associated with increased physician and nurse communication during bedside interdisciplinary rounds. Journal of Hospital Medicine, 18(10), 888–895. https://doi.org/10.1002/jhm.13189
Mattison, M. L. P. (2020). Delirium. Annals of Internal Medicine, 173(7), ITC49–ITC64. https://doi.org/10.7326/aitc202010060
Pereira, R. L., Molina, L. B., Wilger, K., Hedges, M. S., Tolaymat, L., Haga, C., Walker, A., Gillis, M., Yin, M., & Dawson, N. L. (2023). New-onset delirium during hospitalization in older adults: Incidence and risk factors. Hospital Practice, 51(4), 219–222. https://doi.org/10.1080/21548331.2023.2267983
Rieck, K. M., Pagali, S., & Miller, D. M. (2020). Delirium in hospitalized older adults. Hospital Practice (1995), 48(sup1), 3–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/21548331.2019.1709359
Sigma Membership
Non-member
Type
Poster
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Other
Research Approach
Translational Research/Evidence-based Practice
Keywords:
Acute Care, Interprofessional, Interdisciplinary, Delirium, Hospitalized Older Adults, Aged
Recommended Citation
Louie, Savvy; Norman, Sharon; Bryan, Jaymie; VanderPol, Dalton; and Sanders, Shelley Schoepflin, "Program Evaluation of Delirium Screening, Notification and Management" (2025). International Nursing Research Congress (INRC). 173.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/inrc/2025/posters_2025/173
Conference Name
36th International Nursing Research Congress
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Seattle, Washington, USA
Conference Year
2025
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Program Evaluation of Delirium Screening, Notification and Management
Seattle, Washington, USA
Background: Delirium is an acute confusion state associated with poor health outcomes, such as increased mortality and long-term cognitive impairments (Fong & Inouye, 2022; Mattison, 2022; Pereira et al., 2023; Rieck et al., 2019). Hospitalized older adults, ages 65 years and older, and patients with dementia are at increased risk of developing delirium (Mattison, 2022; Pereira et al., 2023). Delirium is prevalent and occurs in 2.6 million hospitalized older adults every year (Fong & Inouye, 2022). Despite the adverse impact of delirium on health outcomes, delirium diagnosis is often missed in routine hospital care. While delirium identification is integral to the management of delirium, effective communication is equally fundamental to patients receiving appropriate care as communication failures result in up to 30% of medical errors (Huang et al., 2023).
In 2023, a medical unit at a Pacific Northwest tertiary hospital only identified three percent of patients with delirium. With the intent of improving delirium identification, the medical unit implemented a new brief delirium assessment tool and notification workflow.
Aims: The aim of this program evaluation is threefold and will determine if 1) bedside nurses routinely completed the new abbreviated delirium assessment, 2) nurses notified providers of a positive screening result, and 3) providers entered the delirium order set.
Details of Evaluation: A program evaluation will be performed to determine the impact of implementing an abbreviated delirium screening tool. The program evaluation will consist of reviewing electronic health records for older adults admitted to a medical surgical unit in a community-based hospital. Data collected will include documentation of delirium screening, provider notification method (i.e. via pager, EMR secure chat, etc.), and subsequent ordering of delirium order set. Data will be collected for three months pre and post implementation of the new abbreviated delirium screening tool. Descriptive analysis will be performed for patient demographics. Inferential analysis will be performed for pre and post implementation data including delirium screening, provider notification and order set entry.
Outcomes: Outcomes of this program evaluation may demonstrate that a brief delirium screening tool increases screening older patients for delirium. Strategies for the most effective communication method to increase delirium order set entry may be identified.
Description
Delirium is associated with poor health outcomes and long-term cognitive impairments. Delirium affects millions of older patients and diagnosis is often missed. This program evaluation will assess the impact of a brief delirium screening tool. Data will be collected through chart reviews pre and post tool implementation. Implications include increased screening for older patients and strategies for the most effective communication methods to increase delirium order set entry.