Feasibility of Alerting Systems and Family Care Partner Support for Postoperative Delirium Prevention.

Background: The objective of this study was to determine whether postoperative pager alerts to the Hospital Elder Life Program (HELP), a delirium prevention service, would accelerate program enrollment for older surgical patients. This study also tested feasibility of family care partner interventions for delirium prevention.

Methods: This single-center, pilot clinical trial factorially randomized 57 non-cardiac surgical patients ≥70 years of age to 4 arms: (1) standard care, (2) pager alerts to accelerate HELP enrollment, (3) family care partner-based delirium prevention interventions, or (4) a combined arm with both HELP and family interventions.

Recommendations and Alerting for Delirium Alleviation in Real-Time (RADAR): Protocol for a pilot randomized controlled trial.

Delirium is a common and serious complication of major surgery for older adults. Postoperative social and behavioral support (e.g.