Evidence Based

PICOT Question: In hospitalized adult patients, does the implementation of a multidisciplinary delirium prevention program compared to standard care reduce the incidence of delirium during hospitalization?

Patient Population of Interest: The population of interest for this PICOT question is hospitalized adult patients. Delirium is a common problem among hospitalized patients, especially in older adults, with a prevalence of up to 50% in some studies (Marcantonio et al., 2017). Hospitalization is a vulnerable time for patients, and delirium can cause significant distress, confusion, and even death. Therefore, it is important to investigate strategies to prevent and reduce delirium in this population.

Intervention/Issue: The intervention of interest is a multidisciplinary delirium prevention program. Delirium prevention programs typically involve a comprehensive approach that includes strategies such as reorientation, environmental modification, early mobilization, medication management, and nutritional support (Ramnarain et al., 2023). These programs often involve input from multiple healthcare professionals, including physicians, nurses, physical therapists, and occupational therapists.

Comparison Intervention: The comparison intervention is standard care. Standard care typically involves routine care provided by healthcare professionals during hospitalization, which may or may not include delirium prevention strategies.

Outcomes: The primary outcome of interest is the incidence of delirium during hospitalization. Delirium is a serious complication that is associated with increased morbidity, mortality, length of hospital stay, and healthcare costs (Marcantonio et al., 2017). Therefore, reducing the incidence of delirium during hospitalization is an important goal.

Time: The time frame for this study is the duration of hospitalization. Delirium is a common problem that can occur at any time during hospitalization, and therefore, the entire hospital stay should be considered.

In conclusion, the PICOT question "In hospitalized adult patients, does the implementation of a multidisciplinary delirium prevention program compared to standard care reduce the incidence of delirium during hospitalization?" aims to investigate the effectiveness of a multidisciplinary approach to prevent and reduce delirium in hospitalized adult patients. Delirium is a serious complication that is associated with negative outcomes, and therefore, it is important to investigate strategies to prevent and reduce delirium in this population. The implementation of a multidisciplinary delirium prevention program is a potential strategy that could be effective in reducing the incidence of delirium during hospitalization. By investigating this question, we can determine whether this approach is an effective strategy to improve patient outcomes during hospitalization.

 

 

References

Marcantonio, E. R. (2017). Delirium in Hospitalized Older Adults.  New England Journal of Medicine,  377(15), 1456–1466. https://doi.org/10.1056/nejmcp1605501

Ramnarain, D., Pouwels, S., Fernández‐Gonzalo, S., Navarra‐Ventura, G., & Balanzá‐Martinez, V. (2023). Delirium–related psychiatric and neurocognitive impairment and the association with post intensive care syndrome‐ a narrative review.  Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica. https://doi.org/10.1111/acps.13534