Observational Study of Family Member Use of FAM-CAM to Detect Delirium in Adult ICU Patients

What this Trial Is About

This research aims to determine whether family members can help identify signs of delirium in adult patients staying in the intensive care unit ICU. Delirium involves sudden changes in attention, thinking, or awareness that can occur during serious illness. The study compares family member observations with routine nurse screenings to see if family assessments add useful information. Participants receive their usual medical care while family members who know the patient well complete a brief delirium assessment called the FAM-CAM after visiting. Nurses perform their standard delirium screening using the ICDSC, and trained research staff perform a CAM-ICU assessment. All three assessments are done independently within one hour each day for up to three days while the patient remains in the ICU. During the study, family members complete one FAM-CAM assessment daily as soon as possible after visiting the patient. The bedside nurse completes an ICDSC assessment during the same period, and research staff conduct the CAM-ICU assessment. Researchers record all assessment times and compare results to evaluate agreement. The main outcome measures focus on the agreement between family, nurse, and research assessments and factors that may affect assessment differences, such as age or communication barriers.

A Prospective Observational Study Using the FAM-CAM