Delirium research, education and practice

Delirium research and clinical care have seen great strides in the last decade. Age and Ageing is making freely available an online collection of 15 papers published since 2012 which provides an overview of the range of research in delirium. It covers prevention and prediction, interventions and their health economic evaluations, outcomes following delirium, and clinical application in a review of the recent SIGN guidelines. The majority of studies took place in hospitals, but we also introduce some important research about another group at high risk of delirium: care home residents. We highlight the importance of delirium education. The studies comprised a range of methodologies (systematic reviews/meta-analysis, observational studies, trials and qualitative research). The selected papers are exemplars of work that has clear clinical implications. Given that delirium affects 15-20% of hospital patients, studies or analysis of existing data with clinical relevance have the potential for enormous impact on practice and on more efficient use of healthcare resources. There is, however, still a great deal of work to be done to implement what is known to be effective, and so reduce the incidence of this distressing condition, and to support those affected: not only patients, but also families and carers, as well as staff in secondary and primary care, including care homes.