Patient-provider communication about cognition and the role of memory concerns: a descriptive study.

BACKGROUND: Early identification of cognitive impairment is an important part of health promotion in aging. However, many older adults do not seek help for cognitive problems until their ability to function independently is substantially impacted. The purpose of this descriptive study was to explore older adults' experiences with patient-provider communication specific to cognition as well as compare barriers and facilitators between those with and without memory concerns. METHODS: We conducted an online survey with individuals aged 65 + years (n = 409; mean age = 71.4(4.73); 54% female; 79% non-Hispanic White), purposively sampled to include those with and without memory concerns. Questionnaires included measures of subjective memory decline (SMD), memory concerns, past healthcare experiences, as well as open-ended questions regarding patient-provider communication about cognition. Content analysis was used to code open-ended responses. Logistic regression was used to examine differences in facilitators and barriers to communication among three groups: no SMD (n = 130), SMD without memory concerns (n = 143), and SMD with memory concerns (n = 136). RESULTS: Only 16.6% of participants reported discussing cognition with a healthcare provider. Of the remaining 83.4%, approximately two-thirds would be open to such discussions in certain circumstances, most frequently if they had worsening memory problems. Over half of participants reported that their provider had never offered cognitive testing. Compared to the no SMD and SMD without memory concerns groups, participants reporting SMD with memory concerns were more likely to: (1) discuss cognition if their healthcare provider initiated the conversation, and (2) avoid discussions of cognitive problems due to fears of losing independence. CONCLUSIONS: We found that most participants, including those reporting SMD with memory concerns, had never discussed cognition with their healthcare providers. Patient-reported barriers and facilitators to communication about cognition differed in several areas based on SMD status and the presence or absence of memory concerns. Consideration of these differences can guide future efforts to improve early identification of subtle cognitive changes that would benefit from further monitoring or intervention.

Delirium superimposed on dementia in post-acute care: Nurse documentation of symptoms and interventions.

Delirium superimposed on dementia (DSD) is common in older adults being discharged to post-acute care settings (PAC). Nurse documentation remains poorly understood. Aims were to describe nurse documentation and to determine associations in a secondary data analysis of a large, single-blinded randomized controlled trial (Recreational Stimulation For Elders As A Vehicle To Resolve DSD (Reserve For DSD). Just under 75% of the sample had at least one symptom of delirium documented by the nursing staff, while 25.9% had none despite being CAM positive by expert adjudication. Only 32% had an intervention documented. Number of documented interventions were significantly associated with number of documented symptoms. There is a need for research and innovation related to nurse documentation and communication of DSD symptoms and interventions in an efficient and accurate manner to impact care for vulnerable older adults in these settings.

Person-Centered Gerontological Nursing: An Overview Across Care Settings.

Person-centered care (PCC) is the gold standard in care delivery for all people, including older adults. Key players, such as the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid, have highlighted PCC as a means to better meet people's needs and improve their quality of care. Nurses are often a person's primary point of contact throughout their care trajectory, thus essential in planning, coordinating, and delivering PCC. However, limited literature focuses on the application and evaluation of nursing-related PCC for older adults. The current article aims to provide a nursing-focused conceptual review of PCC for older adults across care settings. This review describes PCC from a gerontological nursing perspective and presents setting-specific approaches and person-centered nursing practice outcomes. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 47(2), 7-12.].

The Association of a Frailty Index and Incident Delirium in Older Hospitalized Patients: An Observational Cohort Study.

INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND: Frailty identifies patients that have vulnerability to stress. Acute illness and hospitalization are stressors that may result in delirium and further accelerate the negative consequences of frailty. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine whether frailty, identified at hospital admission and as measured by a frailty index, is associated with incident delirium. METHODS: A retrospective, observational, cohort study was done at a Veterans hospital between January 2013 and March 2014. English-speaking patients over 55 years were eligible. Exclusion criteria included inability to complete baseline assessments due to pre-existing cognitive impairment, emergent surgery; and/or admission from a nursing home, pre-existing delirium, and those with psychiatric disease or substance use disorder. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Frailty index (FI) variables included cognitive screening, physical function and comorbidities. The FI was calculated as a proportion of possible deficits (range 0 to 1; higher scores indicate increased frailty). Incident delirium was measured daily by an expert clinician interview. RESULTS: A total of 247 patients were admitted and 218 met inclusion/exclusion criteria, with a mean age of 71.54 years (SD = 9.53 years) and were predominantly white (92.7%) and male (91.7%). Participants were grouped using FI ranges as non-frail (FI <0.25, n=56 (26%)), pre-frail (FI =0.25-0.35, n=86 (39%)), and frail (FI >0.35, n=76 (35%)). Pre-frailty and frailty were associated with incident delirium (non-frail: 3.6% vs pre-frail: 20.9% vs frail: 29.3%, p=0.001) and total delirium days (mean day =non-frail 0.04 vs pre-frail 0.35 vs frail 0.57, p=0.003). After adjustment for sociodemographic factors, pre-frail (adjusted OR=5.64, 95% CI: 1.23, 25.99) and frail status (adjusted OR=6.80, 95% CI: 1.38, 33.45) were independently associated with delirium. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that a frailty index is independently associated with incident delirium and suggests that admission assessments for frailty may identify patients at high risk of developing delirium.

The Overlap Between Falls and Delirium in Hospitalized Older Adults: A Systematic Review.

Falls frequently occur in persons with cognitive impairment, including delirium. This article presents a systematic review of the association between falls and delirium in adults aged 65 years or older. For the studies that compared falls and delirium, the risk ratio was consistently elevated (median RR 4.5, range 1.4-12.6) and statistically significant in all but one study. These results suggest that falls and delirium are inextricably linked. There is a need to further refine fall risk assessment tools and protocols to specifically include delirium for consideration as a risk factor that needs additional assessment and management.

Performance of Electronic Prediction Rules for Prevalent Delirium at Hospital Admission.

Importance: Delirium at admission is associated with increased hospital morbidity and mortality, but it may be missed in up to 70% of cases. Use of a predictive algorithm in an electronic medical record (EMR) system could provide critical information to target assessment of those with delirium at admission. Objectives: To develop and assess a prediction rule for delirium using 2 populations of veterans and compare this rule with previously confirmed rules. Design, Setting, and Participants: In a diagnostic study, randomly selected EMRs of hospitalized veterans from the Veterans Affairs (VA) External Peer Review Program at 118 VA medical centers with inpatient facilities were reviewed for delirium risk factors associated with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) delirium rule in a derivation cohort (October 1, 2012, to September 30, 2013) and a confirmation cohort (October 1, 2013, to March 31, 2014). Delirium within 24 hours of admission was identified using key word terms. A total of 39 377 veterans 65 years or older who were admitted to a VA medical center for congestive heart failure, acute coronary syndrome, community-acquired pneumonia, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were included in the study. Exposure: The EMR calculated delirium risk. Main Outcomes and Measures: Delirium at admission as identified by trained nurse reviewers was the main outcome measure. Random forest methods were used to identify accurate risk factors for prevalent delirium. A prediction rule for prevalent delirium was developed, and its diagnostic accuracy was tested in the confirmation cohort. This consolidated NICE rule was compared with previously confirmed scoring algorithms (electronic NICE and Pendlebury NICE). Results: A total of 27 625 patients were included in the derivation cohort (28 118 [92.2%] male; mean [SD] age, 75.95 [8.61] years) and 11 752 in the confirmation cohort (11 536 [98.2%] male; mean [SD] age, 75.43 [8.55] years). Delirium at admission was identified in 2343 patients (8.5%) in the derivation cohort and 882 patients (7.0%) in the confirmation cohort. Modeling techniques identified cognitive impairment, infection, sodium level, and age of 80 years or older as the dominant risk factors. The consolidated NICE rule (area under the receiver operating characteristic [AUROC] curve, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.91-0.92; P < .001) had significantly higher discriminatory function than the eNICE rule (AUROC curve, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.80-0.82; P < .001) or Pendlebury NICE rule (AUROC curve, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.86-0.88; P < .001). These findings were confirmed in the confirmation cohort. Conclusions and Relevance: This analysis identified preexisting cognitive impairment, infection, sodium level, and age of 80 years or older as delirium screening targets. Use of this algorithm in an EMR system could direct clinical assessment efforts to patients with delirium at admission.