Delirium Clinical Care Standard

About 10% of Australians aged over 70 years have delirium at the time of admission to hospital, and a further 8% develop delirium during a hospital admission. Despite delirium being so common, the condition is poorly recognised.  The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care has developed the Delirium Clinical Care Standard and supplementary resources to guide and support its implementation.

The standard aims to ensure that patients presenting to hospital with delirium receive optimal treatment, and that patients at risk of delirium are identified promptly with preventative strategies put in place. Additional resources include an Indicator Specification, fact sheets for clinicians and consumers, and a list of supporting evidence sources.