Abstract

Background: The purpose of this quality improvement project was to determine whether implementing a delirium admission protocol in the emergency department (ED)would decrease the expected hospital and intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay (LOS) or discharge status for patients with delirium.

Methods: This was a quality improvement project at an urban community hospital. A retrospective chart audit was conducted following an intervention which consisted of screening older adults in the ED using the brief Confusion Assessment Method (bCAM) and following those with positive bCAM scores until discharge.

Results: Participants included 180 older adult patients treated in the ED. Early delirium diagnosis and intervention proved to nullify significant differences in discharge disposition, hospital LOS, and ICU LOS between the bCAM-positive and the bCAM-negative groups.

Conclusions: A delirium admission protocol positively impacts the LOS and discharge disposition for older adult patients who have delirium.