Abstract

BACKGROUND: The prevention of postoperative delirium (POD) in older adults requires interprofessional collaboration among all healthcare professionals (HCP) involved in the continuum of care.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the question of how HCPs experience the interprofessional prevention of POD in older adults within the continuum of care. Additionally, it examined the challenges and desired changes in the intersectoral communication and collaboration for prevention of POD.

METHODS: This multicenter study was carried out with a qualitative research approach. To explore the experiences of HCPs a total of 21 semistructured expert interviews were conducted with general practitioners, geriatricians, anesthesiologists, surgeons and nurses across the 2 study regions Salzburg County and South Tyrol. The interviews were analyzed using content analysis.

RESULTS: The results show that the interviewed HCPs already implement measures to prevent POD but these predominantly focus on identifying patients at risk in the inpatient sector. Information about risk factors is not systematically shared between disciplines or across the intersectoral continuum of care. Structures and processes for intersectoral communication and collaboration in the prevention of POD over the continuum of care are largely missing.

CONCLUSION: To improve the prevention of POD in older adults efforts should be made to enhance intersectoral and interprofessional collaboration and communication between the HCPs involved. The development of a shared instrument for the systematic identification and documentation of relevant risk factors across the continuum of care could support the prevention of POD.

Keywords

DELIRIUM, Intersectoral collaboration, Health services research, GeDePa, POD, Delir Management