One in five hospitalized patients develops the condition, which is a strong predictor of length of stay and healthcare costs. Patients who suffer from hospital-acquired delirium may become confused and disoriented.
University of California, San Francisco researchers developed a diagnostic survey from known existing risk-factors for hospital-acquired delirium.
The tool, called AWOL, uses the following steps to determine a patient’s risk of developing delirium:
- Age
- Ability to spell a word backward
- Place orientation
- Severity of illness
Researchers administered AWOL to approximately 400 patients over the age of 50 who were not delirious at the time they were admitted to a hospital. Patients with higher AWOL scores had a greater risk of developing hospital-acquired delirium.
With this knowledge, researchers commented, it may be possible to identify and engage patients at high risk for delirium to improve their odds of remaining delirium-free.
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