Delirium risk screening and assessment among older patients in general wards and the emergency department: a best practice implementation project

LAFARGA-MOLINA, Laura, Laura ALBORNOS-MUNOZ, Esther GONZALEZ-MARIA, Tereza VRBOVÁ, Maria Teresa MORENO-CASBAS, Miloslav KLUGAR and Jitka KLUGAROVÁ. Delirium risk screening and assessment among older patients in general wards and the emergency department: a best practice implementation project. JBI EVIDENCE IMPLEMENTATION. PHILADELPHIA: LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS, 2023, vol. 21, S1, p. "S9"-"S18", 10 pp. ISSN 2691-3321. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1097/XEB.0000000000000393.

Basic information

• Original name: Delirium risk screening and assessment among older patients in general wards and the emergency department: a best practice implementation project
• Authors: LAFARGA-MOLINA, Laura, Laura ALBORNOS-MUNOZ, Esther GONZALEZ-MARIA, Tereza VRBOVÁ (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution), Maria Teresa MORENO-CASBAS, Miloslav KLUGAR (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution) and Jitka KLUGAROVÁ (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution).
• Edition: JBI EVIDENCE IMPLEMENTATION, PHILADELPHIA, LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS, 2023, 2691-3321.

Other information

• Original language: English
• Type of outcome: Article in a journal
• Field of Study: 30230 Other clinical medicine subjects
• Country of publisher: United States of America
• Confidentiality degree: is not subject to a state or trade secret
• WWW: URL
• Impact factor: Impact factor: 2.300 in 2022
• RIV identification code: RIV/00216224:14110/23:00133712
• Organization unit: Faculty of Medicine
• Doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/XEB.0000000000000393
• UT WoS: 001111566500003
• Keywords in English: delirium; elderly; evidence-based practice; frail; orientation
• Tags: 14119612, 14119613, rivok
• Tags: International impact, Reviewed

Abstract

Objectives:The aim of this project was to improve compliance with evidence-based criteria regarding risk of delirium and the assessment of delirium among older patients in the general hospitalization wards and the emergency department.Introduction:More than 50% of older hospitalized patients experience delirium. Some studies have highlighted the need to implement an orientation protocol in the emergency department and to continue this in the general wards, with the aim of decreasing the delirium rate among older patients admitted to hospital.Methods:The project followed the JBI evidence implementation framework. We conducted a baseline audit, a half-way audit, and final audit of 50 patients at risk of delirium admitted to the emergency department and the general wards, respectively. The audits measured compliance with eight criteria informed by the available evidence.Results:In the final audit, three of the eight criteria achieved more than 50% compliance in the general wards: pressure injury screening (96%); monitoring changes (74%); and performing interventions (76%). In the emergency department, worse results were reported because of the service conditions. The exception was the criterion on the training of nurses on the topic, with 98%. The integration of a tool to screen for delirium in older patients in the hospital's electronic clinical history records increased the percentage of compliance with audit criteria regarding the use of the scale and delirium detection (rising from 0% to 32% in the final audit in the general wards).Conclusion:Through the implementation of this project, validated and evidence-based evaluation will ensure that nurses are supported through appropriate measures to reduce patient confusion and aggression resulting from delirium.