The medical wards at Prince Charles Hospital, a public hospital in Queensland, recently tested the world’s first electronic tool to assess possible causes of delirium.
According to Metro North Health, the electronic tool uses a series of yes/no questions that help narrow down causes to select groups such as infection, organ dysfunction or drugs. It’s built with algorithms that use “common sense principles,” combined with smart design features like adaptive testing.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
Delirium, one of the most underdiagnosed conditions in hospital, affects about one in five patients in Australia, mainly the elderly. It’s onePparents’ expenses Australia’s health system is worth A$8.8 billion ($5.8 billion) per year.
Dr. Eamonn Eeles, a geriatrician at TPCH and developer of the delirium assessment tool, said the condition is often missed in about half of cases due to its multiple causes.
“The examination can be challenging because of drowsiness when the patient may be quiet or seem withdrawn. Additionally, the patient may be agitated. In these situations, the diagnosis may be overlooked. remaining.”
Dr. Eele emphasized that timely diagnosis cannot be overstated because delays can quadruple the risk of death.
Dr. Eeles has spent the past decade developed this tool in conjunction with the TPCH Internal Medicine Service and the Mental Health and Dementia Research Unit at the University of Queensland Clinical Research Centre.
They are currently working with other TCPH departments, including emergency departments, to expand the application of the delirium assessment tool.
BIGGER TREND
In the past year, oneAt least two studies have examined the application of AI models in the assessment of delirium. For example, a study from Johns Hopkins University revealed how AI models predict delirium risk based on EMR data of 200,000 ICU stays. Another study took advantage of one Supervised deep learning model, along with EEG equipment, to better assess delirium.
