Delirium is associated with early postoperative cognitive dysfunction.

The purpose of this analysis was to determine if postoperative delirium was associated with early postoperative cognitive dysfunction (at 7 days) and long-term postoperative cognitive dysfunction (at 3 months). The International Study of Postoperative Cognitive Dysfunction recruited 1218 subjects >or= 60 years old undergoing elective, non-cardiac surgery. Postoperatively, subjects were evaluated for delirium using the criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual. Subjects underwent neuropsychological testing pre-operatively and postoperatively at 7 days (n = 1018) and 3 months (n = 946). Postoperative cognitive dysfunction was defined as a composite Z-score > 2 across tests or at least two individual test Z-scores > 2. Subjects with delirium were significantly less likely to participate in postoperative testing. Delirium was associated with an increased incidence of early postoperative cognitive dysfunction (adjusted risk ratio 1.6, 95% CI 1.1-2.1), but not long-term postoperative cognitive dysfunction (adjusted risk ratio 1.3, 95% CI 0.6-2.4). Delirium was associated with early postoperative cognitive dysfunction, but the relationship of delirium to long-term postoperative cognitive dysfunction remains unclear.

Protocol for the Electroencephalography Guidance of Anesthesia to Alleviate Geriatric Syndromes (ENGAGES) study: a pragmatic, randomised clinical trial.

INTRODUCTION: Postoperative delirium, arbitrarily defined as occurring within 5 days of surgery, affects up to 50% of patients older than 60 after a major operation. This geriatric syndrome is associated with longer intensive care unit and hospital stay, readmission, persistent cognitive deterioration and mortality. No effective preventive methods have been identified, but preliminary evidence suggests that EEG monitoring during general anaesthesia, by facilitating reduced anaesthetic exposure and EEG suppression, might decrease incident postoperative delirium. This study hypothesises that EEG-guidance of anaesthetic administration prevents postoperative delirium and downstream sequelae, including falls and decreased quality of life. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This is a 1232 patient, block-randomised, double-blinded, comparative effectiveness trial. Patients older than 60, undergoing volatile agent-based general anaesthesia for major surgery, are eligible. Patients are randomised to 1 of 2 anaesthetic approaches. One group receives general anaesthesia with clinicians blinded to EEG monitoring. The other group receives EEG-guidance of anaesthetic agent administration. The outcomes of postoperative delirium (≤5 days), falls at 1 and 12 months and health-related quality of life at 1 and 12 months will be compared between groups. Postoperative delirium is assessed with the confusion assessment method, falls with ProFaNE consensus questions and quality of life with the Veteran's RAND 12-item Health Survey. The intention-to-treat principle will be followed for all analyses. Differences between groups will be presented with 95% CIs and will be considered statistically significant at a two-sided p<0.05. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Electroencephalography Guidance of Anesthesia to Alleviate Geriatric Syndromes (ENGAGES) is approved by the ethics board at Washington University. Recruitment began in January 2015. Dissemination plans include presentations at scientific conferences, scientific publications, internet-based educational materials and mass media. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT02241655; Pre-results.

Cognitive and other adverse effects of diphenhydramine use in hospitalized older patients.

BACKGROUND: Diphenhydramine hydrochloride is a commonly prescribed medicine in hospitalized patients, but its adverse effects on older patients remain unclear. METHODS: We enrolled 426 hospitalized medical patients aged 70 years or older in a prospective cohort study in a university hospital. Measurements included baseline and daily assessments including Mini-Mental State Examination scores, Confusion Assessment Method ratings, direct observations for medical devices (urinary catheter or physical restraints), and blinded medical record extractions for diphenhydramine use. RESULTS: Of the 426 patients, 114 (27%) received diphenhydramine during hospitalization and shared similar baseline characteristics including age, sex, delirium risk, and Mini-Mental State Examination scores compared with nonexposed patients. The diphenhydramine-exposed group was at an increased risk for any delirium symptoms (relative risk [RR], 1.7; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.3-2.3) and for individual delirium symptoms, including inattention (RR, 3.0; 95% CI, 1.5-5.9), disorganized speech (RR, 5.5; 95% CI, 1.0-29.8), and altered consciousness (RR, 3.1; 95% CI, 1.6-6.1). Exposed patients also had increased risk for urinary catheter placement (RR, 2.5; 95% CI, 1.0-6.0) and longer median length of stay (7 vs 6 days; P =.009). A dose-response relationship was demonstrated for most adverse outcomes. Overall, 24% of diphenhydramine doses were administered inappropriately. CONCLUSIONS: Diphenhydramine administration in older hospitalized patients is associated with an increased risk of cognitive decline and other adverse effects with a dose-response relationship. Careful review of its use is necessary in this vulnerable population.

Nurses' recognition of delirium and its symptoms: comparison of nurse and researcher ratings.

BACKGROUND: Nurses play a key role in recognition of delirium, yet delirium is often unrecognized by nurses. Our goals were to compare nurse ratings for delirium using the Confusion Assessment Method based on routine clinical observations with researcher ratings based on cognitive testing and to identify factors associated with underrecognition by nurses. METHODS: In a prospective study, 797 patients 70 years and older underwent 2721 paired delirium ratings by nurses and researchers. Patient-related factors associated with underrecognition of delirium by nurses were examined. RESULTS: Delirium occurred in 239 (9%) of 2721 observations or 131 (16%) of 797 patients. Nurses identified delirium in only 19% of observations and 31% of patients compared with researchers. Sensitivities of nurses' ratings for delirium and its key features were generally low (15%-31%); however, specificities were high (91%-99%). Nearly all disagreements between nurse and researcher ratings were because of underrecognition of delirium by the nurses. Four independent risk factors for underrecognition by nurses were identified: hypoactive delirium (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 7.4; 95% confidence interval [CI], 4.2-12.9), age 80 years and older (OR, 2.8; 95% CI, 1.7-4.7), vision impairment (OR, 2.2; 95% CI, 1.2-4.0), and dementia (OR, 2.1; 95% CI, 1.2-3.7). The risk for underrecognition by nurses increased with the number of risk factors present from 2% (0 risk factors) to 6% (1 risk factor), 15% (2 risk factors), and 44% (3 or 4 risk factors; P(trend)<.001). Patients with 3 or 4 risk factors had a 20-fold risk for underrecognition of delirium by nurses. CONCLUSIONS: Nurses often missed delirium when present, but rarely identified delirium when absent. Recognition of delirium can be enhanced with education of nurses in delirium features, cognitive assessment, and factors associated with poor recognition.

Functional outcomes of acute medical illness and hospitalization in older persons.

BACKGROUND: Short-stay hospitalization in older patients is frequently associated with a loss of function, which can lead to a need for postdischarge assistance and longer-term institutionalization. Because little is known about this adverse outcome of hospitalization, this study was conducted to (1) determine the discharge and 3-month postdischarge functional outcomes for a large cohort of older persons hospitalized for medical illness, (2) determine the extent to which patients were able to recover to preadmission levels of functioning after hospital discharge, and (3) identify the patient factors associated with an increased risk of developing disability associated with acute illness and hospitalization. METHODS: A total of 1279 community-dwelling patients, aged 70 years and older, hospitalized for acute medical illness were enrolled in this multicenter, prospective cohort study. Functional measurements obtained at discharge (Activities of Daily Living) and at 3 months after discharge (Activities of Daily Living and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living) were compared with a preadmission baseline level of functioning to document loss and recovery of functioning. RESULTS: At discharge, 59% of the study population reported no change, 10% improved, and 31% declined in Activities of Daily Living when compared with the preadmission baseline. At the 3-month follow-up, 51% of the original study population, for whom postdischarge data were available (n=1206), were found to have died (11%) or to report new Activities of Daily Living and/or Instrumental Activities of Daily Living disabilities (40%) when compared with the preadmission baseline. Among survivors, 19% reported a new Activities of Daily Living and 40% reported a new Instrumental Activities of Daily Living disability at follow-up. The 3-month outcomes were the result of the loss of function during the index hospitalization, the failure of many patients to recover after discharge, and the development of new postdischarge disabilities. Patients at greatest risk of adverse functional outcomes at follow-up were older, had preadmission Instrumental Activities of Daily Living disabilities and lower mental status scores on admission, and had been rehospitalized. CONCLUSION: This study documents a high incidence of functional decline after hospitalization for acute medial illness. Although there are several potential explanations for these findings, this study suggests a need to reexamine current inpatient and postdischarge practices that might influence the functioning of older patients.

The dilemma of delirium: clinical and research controversies regarding diagnosis and evaluation of delirium in hospitalized elderly medical patients.

Delirium, with occurrence rates from 14% to 56%, associated mortality rates from 10% to 65%, and excess annual health care expenditures from $1 to $2 billion, poses a common and serious problem for hospitalized elderly patients. Delirium is often unrecognized or misdiagnosed by physicians caring for elderly patients. Cognitive testing is rarely done as part of the admission evaluation of elderly hospitalized patients. Specific diagnosis has been difficult, since diagnostic criteria and instruments are still being developed. The etiology of delirium is complex and multifactorial, and both predisposing (host vulnerability) and precipitating factors must be considered. The recommended approach to the evaluation of delirium is empiric, in the absence of objective efficacy data. The cornerstone of evaluation includes a careful history, physical examination, and review of the medication list--since medications are the most common reversible cause of delirium. Research is needed to establish a cost-effective approach and to clarify the role of further testing, such as cerebrospinal fluid examination, brain imaging, and electroencephalography. This article is intended to heighten the awareness of clinicians as well as to stimulate research to address this important, neglected problem for elderly hospitalized patients.

The informed consent process in older patients who developed delirium: a clinical epidemiologic study.

PURPOSE: Delirium, defined as an acute, fluctuating disorder of attention and cognition, is a serious and increasingly common problem for hospitalized older persons. Delirium poses unique ethical challenges for the informed consent process, notably the preservation of patient autonomy in the face of potentially fluctuating decision-making capacity. To clarify these issues, we examined the informed consent process in a group of hospitalized older patients who developed delirium. PATIENTS: Eighty-four hospitalized patients aged >70 years who developed delirium during hospitalization at a large urban teaching hospital. METHODS: We conducted a clinical epidemiologic investigation of informed consent in 173 medical and surgical procedures performed in 84 patients. Clinical researchers carried out detailed cognitive evaluation of patients on or near the consent date. A separate blinded researcher extracted medical record information on the procedures and informed consent process variables. RESULTS: Of 173 procedures, 33 (19%) had no documentation of any consent, and 34 (20%) used surrogate consent. There were no documented assessments of competency/ decisional capacity; cognitive assessments were done in 7 (4%) cases, and legal consults in 2 (1%) cases. Discussion of potential risks of the procedure with patient or surrogate were documented in 61 (35%) cases. In multivariable analysis, independent predictors for failure to obtain consent were presence of delirium (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 2.7, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.3, 5.3) and less invasive procedure (OR = 5.0, CI 2.0, 12.8). Although cognitive impairment predicted surrogate use, we found that 47% of cases with substantial impairment did not involve use of a surrogate, whereas surrogates signed for 4% of cases with normal mental status near the time of consent. CONCLUSIONS: Our results highlight the ethical challenges that delirium poses for the informed consent process, including the high rate of no consent, lack of cognitive and decisional capacity assessment, and inconsistent surrogate use.

Delirium: a symptom of how hospital care is failing older persons and a window to improve quality of hospital care.

Delirium, or acute confusional state, which often results from hospital-related complications or inadequate hospital care for older patients, can serve as a marker of the quality of hospital care. By reviewing five pathways that can lead to a greater incidence of delirium--iatrogenesis, failure to recognize delirium in its early stages, attitudes toward the care of the elderly, the rapid pace and technological focus of health care, and the reduction in skilled nursing staff--we identify how future trends and cost-containment practices may exacerbate the problem. Examining delirium also provides an opportunity to improve the quality of hospital care for older persons. Interventions to reduce delirium would need to occur at the local and national levels. Local strategies would include routine cognitive assessment and the creation of systems to enhance geriatric care, such as incentives to change practice patterns, geriatric expertise, case management, and clinical pathways. National strategies might include providing education for physicians and nurses to improve the recognition of delirium and the awareness of its clinical implications, improving quality monitoring systems for delirium, and creating environments to facilitate the provision of high-quality geriatric care.

Goals for the care of frail older adults: do caregivers and clinicians agree?

PURPOSE: Establishing shared treatment goals for patients may improve the quality of care by facilitating achievement of appropriate and desired outcomes. The purpose of this study was to describe types of family caregiver and physician treatment goals for frail elderly patients who had a high prevalence of cognitive impairment, and to ascertain the level of agreement between family caregivers and physicians on principal treatment goals. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We surveyed family caregivers and physicians for 200 consecutive older adults who were initially evaluated at the outpatient geriatric assessment center of a major teaching hospital. Treatment goals for patients were measured after a comprehensive geriatric assessment. RESULTS: Goals commonly chosen as most important by family caregivers and physicians pertained to day-to-day functioning (61 [31%] family caregivers, 81 [41%] physicians), behavior and emotional health (56 [28%] family caregivers, 50 [25%] physicians), and safety (40 [20%] family caregivers, 29 [15%] physicians). Although a substantial proportion of family caregiver and physician pairs shared at least one goal (157 [79%] of 200), agreement on presence or absence of individual categories of goals was poor (kappas from -0.19 to 0.28), and agreement on the most important goal was also poor (kappa 0.20). CONCLUSIONS: Agreement on treatment goals between family caregivers and physicians for patients at the study site was low. These results suggest that encounters between family caregiver and physician may need improvement. Further research is needed to assess whether lack of agreement is found in other settings, persists over time, and affects achievement of goals and optimal health outcomes.

An algorithm for prospective individual matching in a non-randomized clinical trial.

A method is described to achieve balance across prognostic factors in intervention trials for which randomized allocation to treatment group is not possible. The method involves prospective individual matching of patients that have already been assigned to treatment groups. Data can be analyzed using methods appropriate for prospective matched cohort studies. Successful implementation depends on the number and complexity of factors to be matched, and on the number of available control patients. Simulation studies suggest that, in order to yield satisfactory match rates and to reduce costs associated with screening unmatched controls, no more than three prognostic factors should generally be considered. Baseline prognostic indices, incorporating information from multiple variables, provide effective matching factors. The implementation of the method in a successful clinical trial, the Delirium Prevention Trial, is discussed. In that study, treatment group was determined by hospital admission to either an intervention floor or to one of two usual care hospital floors. The ratio of available control to intervention patients was 1.3, and 95% of the eligible intervention floor patients were successfully matched to control floor patients. Excellent balance was demonstrated for non-matching factors, due in part to the use of a composite baseline risk score as a matching factor. In addition, external validity is enhanced because most eligible intervention patients are enrolled as they present. The methods outlined in this report provide a methodologically rigorous alternative for achieving balance across treatment groups, with respect to important prognostic factors, in non-randomized clinical trials, and will have broad applicability in the numerous situations in which randomization is not possible.

Risk adjustment for older hospitalized persons: a comparison of two methods of data collection for the Charlson index.

To compare Charlson indices based on chart data and ICD-9 data for agreement overall and on rating specific comorbid conditions, and to compare mortality risks associated with these indices. Prospective cohort study. Six general medicine wards at Yale-New Haven Hospital. 524 consecutive patients who had no clinical evidence of delirium at enrollment, admitted between November 6, 1989 and July 31, 1991, aged 70 years or older. Death within 1 year of the index hospital admission date. Scores using the chart-based data were significantly higher than those using ICD-9 data. About half of the individual conditions showed fair-to-good agreement between the two scores, whereas the other half showed poor agreement. A comparison of mortality prediction indicated that the weightings assigned to individual comorbidities differed substantially from those used in Charlson's original index. While mortality prediction of each individual index was comparable, the ICD-9 and chart indices contributed independently to mortality prediction in the presence of the other. Low agreement between Charlson scores based on the two methods of data collection and their cumulative contribution to mortality prediction suggest that these indices may include different information. Our results suggest that the original Charlson index may not provide optimal risk adjustment for elderly general medicine samples. We suggest development of an empirically-derived index of comorbid conditions and weights may be warranted for older general medical patients.

Technology assessment in diagnostic imaging. A proposal for a phased approach to evaluating radiology research.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: The authors propose an objective basis for critical evaluation of research trends and define and analyze a sample of radiology studies according to research phase. METHODS: A random sample of 146 original diagnostic studies from two radiology journals was categorized according to phase, modality, and design by three physician reviewers, collated with a microcomputer database, and analyzed using an SAS program. RESULTS: Phase 1 studies (technical evaluation) constituted 18.5% of publications: phase 2 (standardization and tissue characterization), 10.3%; phase 3 (spectrum of appearances), 40.4%; phase 4 (diagnostic efficacy), 21.2%; and phase 5 (clinical evaluation), 9.6%. Of 48 diagnostic efficacy studies, 42% were prospective (versus 35% for the total sample), 38% were controlled (median sample size, 53 [versus 30 for the total sample]). Only 27% of the 48 diagnostic efficacy studies were externally funded. Research in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which comprised 45% of all publications, was oriented toward phase 1 (32%) rather than phase 5 studies (0%). Phase 5 studies were the focus of 18% and 8% of ultrasound (US) and computed tomography (CT) studies, respectively. There were more prospective, controlled efficacy studies in US than in MRI or CT. CONCLUSIONS: Analyses of research trends will be facilitated by use of a standard taxonomy which adopts a modality-based, phased approach.

Screening for dementia in the outpatient setting: the time and change test.

OBJECTIVE: To develop and validate the Time and Change (T&C) test, a simple, standardized method for detecting dementia in a diverse older outpatient population with varying levels of education. DESIGN: A prospective cohort validation study. SETTING: Two outpatient clinics at an urban teaching hospital. PARTICIPANTS: The concurrent validation sample consisted of 100 consecutive outpatients 70 years of age or older who were 58% non-white and had a 16% dementia prevalence rate and educational levels ranging from 0 to 17+ years. Reliability was tested in a sample of 42 consecutive outpatients 75 years of age or older with a 36% dementia prevalence rate. MEASUREMENTS: T&C ratings were validated against a reference standard based on the Blessed Dementia Rating Scale and the Mini-Mental State Examination. Reliability, contribution to physician recognition of dementia, and ease of use were assessed. RESULTS: In the outpatient setting, the T&C had a sensitivity of 63%, specificity of 96%, a negative predictive value of 93%, a positive predictive value of 77%, and test-retest and inter-observer reliability agreement rates of 95% and 100%, respectively. When T&C results were added to the physician's documentation of dementia, the number of missed cases decreased from 44% to 19%, and the number of overcalled cases decreased by 100%. When timed cut points were added, the T&C test had a sensitivity of 94 to 100%, specificity of 37 to 46%, negative predictive value of 98 to 100%, positive predictive value of 23 to 25%, and test-retest and inter-observer agreement rates of 82% and 70 to 75%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The T&C test is a simple, accurate, reliable, performance-based tool that can improve physician ability to recognize dementia in diverse outpatient populations.

Dementia and race: are there differences between African Americans and Caucasians?

This study provides an overview of racial differences in etiology and prevalence of dementia. Preliminary findings indicate that the clinical and molecular etiologies of dementia differ between races. African Americans have a higher prevalence of vascular dementia and a lower prevalence of Parkinsonian dementia than do Caucasians. The genetic etiologies of Alzheimer's-type dementia appear to differ between African Americans and Caucasians. The variations in dementia etiologies and in cognitive testing accuracy between races suggests the urgent need to develop racially appropriate cognitive assessment methods and to develop preventive and treatment etiologies differently according to racial background of individual patients.

Delirium in hospitalized older persons: outcomes and predictors.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was fourfold; to determine the rate of delirium among hospitalized older persons, to contrast the clinical outcomes of patients with and without delirium, to identify clinical predictors of delirium, and to validate the predictive model in an independent sample of patients. DESIGN: Two prospective cohort studies SETTING: Medical and surgical wards of 2 university teaching hospitals. PATIENTS: In the derivation cohort, 432 patients were enrolled from the University of Chicago Hospitals. Patients 65 years of age or older admitted to 1 of 4 wards were eligible. Subjects were excluded if they were discharged within 48 hours of admission, unavailable to the research assistants during the first 2 days of hospitalization, or judged too impaired to participate in the daily interviews. In the test cohort, 323 patients 70 years of age or older admitted to Yale-New Haven Hospital were studied. MEASUREMENTS: Subjects were screened for delirium daily and referred to experienced clinician investigators if acute mental status changes were observed. The clinician investigators assessed the patient for delirium based on DSM-III-R criteria. Duration of hospitalization was adjusted for diagnosis-related groups (DRG) and mortality rates were determined at discharge and 90 days after discharge. Sociodemographic characteristics, cognitive and functional status, comorbidity, depression, and alcoholism were examined as predictors of delirium. MAIN RESULTS: The rate of delirium in the derivation cohort was 15%; subjects with delirium had longer hospital stays and an increased risk of in-hospital death. Cognitive impairment, burden of comorbidity, depression, and alcoholism were found to be independent predictors of delirium. The ability of the model to stratify patients as low, moderate, or high risk for developing delirium was validated in the test cohort in which the rate of delirium was 26%. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms the high rate of delirium among hospitalized older persons and the associated adverse outcomes of prolonged hospital stays and increased risk of death. Patients can be stratified according to their risk for developing delirium using relatively few clinical characteristics which should be assessed, on all hospitalized older persons.

Methodologic issues in conducting research on hospitalized older people.

OBJECTIVE: To describe challenges in conducting research with hospitalized geriatric patients. DESIGN: Quasi-experimental longitudinal study with inperson interviews at baseline and discharge and a three-month postdischarge telephone interview. Study protocol required baseline interviews within 48 hours of admission for patients or 72 hours for proxies. SETTING: 813-bed urban teaching hospital. PARTICIPANTS: 240 patients, mean age 83.8 years, at moderate to high risk for functional decline during hospitalization, admitted from the emergency room to a general medical unit. MEASUREMENTS: Delays starting or interruptions continuing interviews; patient and environmental conditions potentially affecting data quality; and information on proxy use. RESULTS: Timely access to patients or proxies was a major difficulty, resulting in the screening of only 53.1% of 867 potentially eligible patients. Multiple patient contacts and visits were required to complete interviews. Only 61.3% of baseline and 28.1% of follow-up interviews were completed on the initial day of contact. Despite having on-site interviewers 7 days a week, 29% of discharge interviews were conducted by telephone. Interviews were >90% complete in 487 of 503 of encounters (97%). Baseline delays and interruptions were usually due to the presence of medical staff, off-unit tests, patient illness, nurse unavailability for interview, and need for a proxy. Most in-hospital interviews were conducted with others present. Proxies were required for approximately one-third of patients at all three interviews. CONCLUSION: Conducting clinical research with older adults in the current inpatient setting, where patients are more severely ill yet have shorter lengths of stay now than in the past, proves a challenging yet achievable goal. Effective procedures for negotiating the acute care environment are critical to successful studies.

The Hospital Elder Life Program: a model of care to prevent cognitive and functional decline in older hospitalized patients. Hospital Elder Life Program.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the Hospital Elder Life Program, a new model of care designed to prevent functional and cognitive decline of older persons during hospitalization. PROGRAM STRUCTURE AND PROCESS: All patients aged > or =70 years on specified units are screened on admission for six risk factors (cognitive impairment, sleep deprivation, immobility, dehydration, vision or hearing impairment). Targeted interventions for these risk factors are implemented by an interdisciplinary team-including a geriatric nurse specialist, Elder Life Specialists, trained volunteers, and geriatricians--who work closely with primary nurses. Other experts provide consultation at twice-weekly interdisciplinary rounds. INTERVENTION: Adherence is carefully tracked. Quality assurance procedures and performance reviews are an integral part of the program. PROGRAM OUTCOMES: To date, 1,507 patients have been enrolled during 1,716 hospital admissions. The overall intervention adherence rate was 89% for at least partial adherence with all interventions during 37,131 patient-days. Our results indicate that only 8% of admissions involved patients who declined by 2 or more points on MMSE and only 14% involved patients who declined by 2 or more points on ADL score. Comparative results for the control group from the clinical trial were 26% and 33%, and from previous studies 14 to 56% and 34 to 50% for cognitive and functional decline, respectively. Effectiveness of the program for delirium prevention and of the program's nonpharmacologic sleep protocol have been demonstrated previously. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the Hospital Elder Life Program successfully prevents cognitive and functional decline in at-risk older patients. The program is unique in its hospital-wide focus; in providing skilled staff and volunteers to implement interventions; and in targeting practical interventions toward evidence-based risk factors. Future studies are needed to evaluate cost-effectiveness and longterm outcomes of the program as well as its effectiveness in non-hospital settings.

A nonpharmacologic sleep protocol for hospitalized older patients.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the feasibility of and adherence to a nonpharmacologic sleep protocol targeted to nurses for acutely ill older patients and to test the effectiveness of the protocol on enhancing sleep and reducing sedative-hypnotic drug (SHD) use. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: A 34-bed general medical unit in a university-affiliated teaching hospital. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 175 consecutive admissions aged 70 years or older. INTERVENTION: A nonpharmacologic sleep protocol consisting of a back rub, warm drink, and relaxation tapes was administered by nursing personnel to patients who complained of difficulty initiating sleep or who requested a SHD. After 1 hour, if the patient still requested it, the nurse administered the SHD. MEASUREMENTS: The main outcomes of sleep quality and SHD use were measured by patient interview and chart abstraction. Feasibility and adherence to the protocol were tracked daily by patient and nurse interviews and chart abstraction. RESULTS: A cohort of 111 patients, mean age 79.3 (+/- 6.4), 68% women, received the sleep protocol. Patients required the protocol for a mean of 4.9 days per patient, totalling 539 patients-days. The overall adherence rate was 400/539 (74%) patient-days. The rate of complete nonadherence was 139/539 (26%), with reasons for nonadherence including nurse nonadherence in 30 (6%), patient refusal in 104 (19%), and medical contraindications in five (1%). The quality of sleep correlated strongly with the number of parts of the protocol received, suggesting a dose-response relationship, with the highest correlation for receiving two to three parts (p = .64, P < 0.001). The sleep protocol was successful in reducing SHD use from the baseline preintervention rate of 51/94 (54%) to 34/111 (31%) (P < .002). The sleep protocol had a stronger association with quality of sleep (p = .75, P = .001) than did SHDs (p = .07, P = .45). However, chronic SHD users were more likely to refuse the protocol than nonusers (64% vs 41%, P < .03) and received SHDs 4.5 times more often than nonusers (67% vs 15%, P = .001). CONCLUSION: The nonpharmacologic sleep protocol provides a feasible, effective, and nontoxic alternative to SHDs to promote sleep in older hospitalized patients. Use of the protocol can substantially decrease use of SHDs.

The Yale Geriatric Care Program: a model of care to prevent functional decline in hospitalized elderly patients.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the structure and implementation of the Yale Geriatric Care Program, an innovative, nursing-centered model for developing geriatric nursing expertise throughout an acute-care hospital. DESIGN: Descriptive study of an intervention in a prospective cohort of patients. SETTING: University teaching hospital. PATIENTS: Two hundred forty four patients aged 70 years and older on four non-intensive care intervention units during the study period (July 9, 1990 to July 31, 1991). INTERVENTION: The Geriatric Care Program involved an integrated model of primary nurses, specially trained unit-based geriatric resource nurses, gerontological nurse specialists, and geriatric physicians. The intervention included surveillance and identification of frail older patients, unit-based geriatric educational programs for all nurses, special education and support for the geriatric resource nurses, and twice-weekly rounds of the Geriatric Care Team. RESULTS: The Geriatric Care Program has been successfully implemented on four units. The interventions ranged from general clarification of goals in 226 (92%) to specific recommendations for management of immobility in 100 (41%), bladder/bowel problems in 99 (41%), pressure ulcer treatment or prevention in 61 (25%), confusion evaluation or management in 62 (25%), and adjustment of medications in 43 (18%). Overall, 68% of the specific recommendations were documented to have been implemented. Barriers to implementation of the program have included initial difficulties with recruitment and retainment of geriatric resource nurses (due to high nursing turnover and the increased time commitment required), breakdown in communication and carryover of recommendations between nursing shifts, and obstacles to communication between the nursing and medical staff. CONCLUSIONS: An innovative model of care, in which geriatric nursing was integrated as part of standard nursing care on selected medical and surgical units, has been designed and implemented. Evaluation of the effectiveness and costs of this intervention are currently underway.

Predictors of formal home health care use in elderly patients after hospitalization.

OBJECTIVE: To prospectively study the incidence of and risk factors for home health care (HHC) use in a cohort of elderly medical and surgical patients discharged from acute care. Although HHC is commonly received by patients in this group, its predictors have not been well studied. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Medical and surgical wards at a university teaching hospital, followed by 23 Medicare-certified HHC agencies in the study catchment area. PATIENTS: 226 medical and surgical patients aged 70 years and older immediately after discharge from acute care. MEASUREMENTS: HHC initiated within 14 days after hospital discharge, measured by direct review of HHC agency records. RESULTS: The incidence of HHC initiated within 2 weeks post-discharge was 75/226 (34%). The median duration of service was 30 days (range 3-483) with a median of 3 visits per week. Four independent predictors of HHC were identified through multivariate analysis: educational level < or = 12 years (relative risk (RR) 3.3; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.6 to 6.6); less accessible social support (RR, 1.7; CI 0.9 to 3.1); impairment in at least one instrumental activity of daily living (RR, 1.9; CI, 1.0, 3.4); and prior HHC use (RR, 2.1; CI, 1.2 to 3.6). Risk strata were created by adding one point for each risk factor present: with 0-1 risk factors, 8% used HHC; with two risk factors, 28%; with three risk factors, 45%, with four risk factors, 76%. This trend was statistically significant (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: HHC use is common among elderly patients after discharge from acute care. A simple predictive model based on four risk factors can be used on admission to predict HHC use. This model may be useful for discharge planning and health care utilization planning for the elderly population.