Our new dementia and delirium screening tool, 4AT, has launched across the Trust.

Where is the test located?

The new test is still located on ADT dashboard under a button named ‘4AT delirium’.

The previous cognitive screening form has now been disabled, and there is a new delirium quick aid flowchart tab on ADT to support colleagues.

What has changed?

Colleagues has previously expressed that the old assessment tool was too time consuming, not functional or practical.

This new 4AT test is simple and short, is designed for easy and effective clinical use and does not require special training.

The 4AT test measures a patient’s:

  • Alertness: whether the person is drowsy or agitated
  • Awareness: for example, of the current year and where they are
  • Attention: for example, how well the person is able to name the months of the year backwards from December
  • Acute change or fluctuating course: whether symptoms started suddenly or are now coming and going.

Please continue to screen patients within 72-hours of their admission.

A user guide has also been developed to further support staff in using the new test.

What is important about screening?

It’s vitally important that we are able to quickly identify patients with dementia and screen for delirium in order to better support the provision of care for people in this vulnerable group, and reduce hospital-acquired deconditioning.

Patients with cognitive impairment such as dementia and delirium are at higher risk of harm, often have increased lengths of stay and are more likely to be discharged into 24-hour care.