Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT05606328

Implementation Outcome Assessments of the Emergency Department Delirium Screening and Detection Program

Delirium occurs in up to 20% of older adults presenting to the Emergency Department (ED) and is associated with poor outcomes. Failure to identify patients with ED delirium not only prevents initiation of mitigation strategies, but is also a barrier to advancing the field in terms of evaluating management and clinical outcomes. This project studies the potential of an ED Delirium Detection Program (ED-DDP), developed to address the need for consistent and accurate ED delirium detection.

This research will have two objectives:

* Aim 1 will conduct a pilot stepped wedge cluster randomized trial (SW-CRT) of the ED-DDP across 3 diverse EDs to determine preliminary efficacy of the detection training program, and * Aim 2 will use a mixed methods approach to assess RE-AIM implementation outcomes (Reach, Efficacy, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance) of the training program.

Aim 1 will consist of a multicomponent 1-day delirium champion workshop where the training is delivered, real-time direct observation/training of champions via telehealth, practical training of nurses throughout each ED by champions, and patient chart review. In Aim 2, the investigators will assess implementation outcomes using training logs, tele-observation, interviews with champions and nurses, and electronic medical record screening.

The overarching aim of this proposal is to determine the preliminary efficacy of the training program for improving ED delirium screening, detection, and management in older adults, while also evaluating implementation outcomes of the program for champions/nurses. The investigators will use findings from this study to inform a full-scale SW-CRT to evaluate the impact of the program on patient outcomes at Northwell Health. The long-term goal of this study is to implement and disseminate a comprehensive ED-DDP that will improve screening, detection, and management of ED delirium in older adults.

Completed

Looking for future studies?

Notify Me

Key information

Conditions

Delirium Confusion Disease Attributes Emergencies Mental Disorders Nervous System Diseases Neurobehavioral Manifestations Neurocognitive Disorders Neurologic Manifestations Pathologic Processes Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research

Manhasset, New York, 11030, United States

About this study

Grounded in the RE-AIM framework, investigators will use mixed methods to conduct implementation outcome assessments of the ED-DDP for champions and nurses. A multimodal approach, using training logs, tele-observations, and EHR data, will assess quantitative outcomes during implementation/intervention periods: Reach (training completion), Efficacy (accurate screening tool use), Adoption (screening rates), and Implementation (fidelity/time of program delivery). Investigators will conduct semi-structured interviews (intervention period) to assess and explain: successes and challenges of training completion (Reach) and Adoption of delirium screening; adaptations made to ED DDP delivery (Implementation); and plan for Maintenance.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Nurse educators, managers, or bedside nurses self-identified or recommended by emergency department (ED) leadership to volunteer as a program site champion
  • Primarily working at a participating ED site
  • Commitment to program participation

Exclusion criteria

  • Unable to meet program requirements, including attending champion workshop, agreement to observation and training via telehealth, and commitment to train department staff
  • Does not primarily work in the ED

Treatment and study plan

Emergency Department Delirium Screening and Detection Program (ED-DDP)

Behavioral

Champions will participate in a 1-day workshop, consisting of patient testimonials, small group discussions, delirium and screening tool use (didactics), and role-playing. Following the workshop, champions will receive 3 tele-training sessions; 2 to provide direct observation/feedback while the champion performs a bedside delirium screen, and 1 to provide direct observation/feedback of the champion providing training to the nurse. Once delirium champions complete training, they will provide bedside delirium training for all ED nurses. No adaptations to the ED-DDP will occur between implementation sites and no data will be collected during implementation phases.

Primary outcomes

  1. Accurate Delirium Screening by Emergency Department (ED) Nurses (RE-AIM: Efficacy)

    Time frame: Intervention period (3-9 months post program implementation)

    Tele-observations will be used to asses screening accuracy, defined as the proportion of nurses who score at least 80% accuracy on the brief confusion assessment method (bCAM) use using a validated Spot Check Form. The investigators will observe a random sample of nurses (N=30, 10 at each ED site) performing a delirium screen in real-time. A successful outcome will be considered if computed proportion of nurses accurately using the bCAM tool is 80% or higher.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Proportion of Delirium Champions Who Complete Training (RE:AIM: Reach)

    Time frame: Implementation period (3 months)

    Champion training logs will be used to determine the proportion of champions who complete training (1-day workshop and 3 tele-training sessions) at each emergency department site. A successful outcome will be considered if computed proportion is 80% or higher.

  2. Proportion of Emergency Department Nurses Who Complete Training (RE-AIM: Reach)

    Time frame: Implementation period (3 months)

    Emergency department nurse training logs will be used to determine the proportion of nurses who complete at least 1 training session with a delirium champion at each ED site. A successful outcome will be considered if computed proportion is 80% or higher.

  3. Proportion of Nurses Who Screen Eligible Patients (REAIM: Adoption)

    Time frame: Intervention period (3-9 months post implementation)

    Electronic health record (EHR) data will be used to determine the proportion of nurses who document delirium screening in at least 80% of eligible patients. A successful outcome will be considered if computed proportion is 80% or higher. Data is reported as the number of patient records reviewed during the intervention period that contained a delirium screening by a emergency department nurse.

  4. Proportion of Training Program Components That Adhered to ED-DDP Protocol (REAIM: Implementation/Fidelity)

    Time frame: Implementation period (3 months)

    Training logs of delirium champions and ED nurses will be used to determine the proportion of training components (workshop, tele-training sessions, and bedside training of nurses by champions) that adhered to ED-DDP protocol. A successful outcome will be considered if computed proportion is 80% or higher.

  5. Time Required to Train Delirium Champions and Nurses (REAIM: Implementation/Time)

    Time frame: Implementation period (3 months)

    Data is reported as total number of days necessary to train 80% of nurses in the ED site. Training logs of delirium champions and ED nurses will be used to determine the time required to complete champion and ED nurse training. A successful outcome will be considered if 80% of delirium champion and ED nurses complete training within the implementation period (fewer than 90 days).

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Northwell Health

Other

Collaborators

  • National Institute on Aging (NIA)

Registry information

Official study title

Improving Delirium Screening and Detection for Older Adults Presenting to the Emergency Department (ED): A Novel ED Delirium Screening and Detection Program

Acronym: ED-DDP

Important dates

Study start
2023
Primary completion
2024
Study completion
2024
First posted
Nov 4, 2022
Registry last updated
Jan 30, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Related clinical trials

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.