Determining the Preliminary Efficacy of the Emergency Department Delirium Screening and Detection Program

Improving Delirium Screening and Detection for Older Adults Presenting to the Emergency Department (ED): A Novel ED Delirium Screening and Detection Program

Delirium occurs in up to 20% of older adults presenting to the Emergency Department (ED) and is associated with poor outcomes. Failure to identify patients with ED delirium not only prevents initiation of mitigation strategies, but is also a barrier to advancing the field in terms of evaluating management and clinical outcomes. This project studies the potential of an ED Delirium Detection Program (ED-DDP), developed to address the need for consistent and accurate ED delirium detection.

This research will have two objectives:

• Aim 1 will conduct a pilot stepped wedge cluster randomized trial (SW-CRT) of the ED-DDP across 3 diverse EDs to determine preliminary efficacy of the detection training program, and
• Aim 2 will use a mixed methods approach to assess RE-AIM implementation outcomes (Reach, Efficacy, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance) of the training program.

Aim 1 will consist of a multicomponent 1-day delirium champion workshop where the training is delivered, real-time direct observation/training of champions via telehealth, practical training of nurses throughout each ED by champions, and patient chart review. In Aim 2, the investigators will assess implementation outcomes using training logs, tele-observation, interviews with champions and nurses, and electronic medical record screening.

The overarching aim of this proposal is to determine the preliminary efficacy of the training program for improving ED delirium screening, detection, and management in older adults, while also evaluating implementation outcomes of the program for champions/nurses. The investigators will use findings from this study to inform a full-scale SW-CRT to evaluate the impact of the program on patient outcomes at Northwell Health. The long-term goal of this study is to implement and disseminate a comprehensive ED-DDP that will improve screening, detection, and management of ED delirium in older adults.

Every three months, with the exception of when a site is in their implementation period, trained study staff members will conduct retrospective in-depth chart reviews on 250 randomly selected eligible patient visits per ED site. These chart reviews will assess presence of delirium as well as any corresponding delirium documentation, including the brief confusion assessment method (bCAM) and delirium mitigation and management strategies employed during the patient's ED visit. Charts will be pulled based on dates the participating site is within their control or intervention period (no chart review will take place during program implementation). A total of N=1,000 patients per ED will be reviewed. Two delirium experts will perform chart checks and adjudicate any uncertain cases.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Presenting to a participating study site emergency department (ED) during control or intervention periods
• Survival to ED discharge or to hospital admission

Exclusion Criteria:

• Presenting to a participating study site ED during ED-DDP implementation periods