Hospital Discharge Instructions for Delirium
Author Information
Author(s): Golden Blair, Sonnentag David, Kaiksow Farah, Gilmore-Bykovskyi Andrea, Shah Manish, Inouye Sharon, Vasilevskis Eduard
Primary Institution: University of Wisconsin Madison School of Medicine and Public Health
Hypothesis
It is unclear if delirium is routinely incorporated into hospital discharge instructions.
Conclusion
There is a significant gap between clinician recognition of delirium and the instructions provided to patients and caregivers at discharge.
Supporting Evidence
- 96% of patients had personalized discharge instructions for non-delirium diagnoses.
- Only 4% of cases included delirium in discharge instructions.
- 26% of instructions used terms that could be considered synonyms for delirium.
- 6% of cases had proxies for delirium instruction through new prescriptions or referrals.
Takeaway
When older adults leave the hospital after having delirium, doctors often don't tell them about it in their discharge instructions, which is important for their recovery.
Methodology
A retrospective chart review of a random sample of 50 hospitalized older adults with delirium was performed.
Limitations
The study only reviewed a small sample size and may not represent all hospitals.
Participant Demographics
Hospitalized older adults aged 65 and above.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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