Functional assessment. Easy-to-use screening tools speed initial office work-up

The mnemonic DEEP-IN stands for a series of easy-to-administer, office-based screening tests designed to streamline initial assessment of the geriatric patient. These screens can quickly identify signs of delirium, dementia, depression, and adverse drug effects; vision and hearing deficits; risk for future impairments in activities of daily living; incontinence, and malnutrition. The author developed the mnemonic from personal experience and from an evidence-based application of validated geriatric and geropsychiatric studies.