Delirium Around the World: Performing An International Point Prevalence Study Increases Awareness for Delirium

Background Global efforts to raise delirium awareness have been made over the past years, such as the formation of the iDelirium group and the institution, in 2017, of the annual World Delirium Awareness Day (WDAD) in March. In 2023, our group and researchers from around the world conducted a global one-day point prevalence study of delirium on WDAD. These strategies appear to improve delirium recognition and management. Objective To assess participants’ perceived impact of participating in the WDAD 2023 one-day point prevalence study and to gather feedback on the survey process to inform future campaigns. Methods An online survey was administered to multiple national and clinical collaborators from 44 countries participating in the one-day global point delirium prevalence study on WDAD 2023. Using SurveyMonkey®, the survey was distributed via a snowball system, with participants’ consent implied through their involvement. The survey, developed iteratively to balance time and detail, consisted of six core questions, including closed and open formats. Data were collected from September 9th to October 9th, 2023, and qualitative and quantitative analyses were performed using Excel®. Quantitative data underwent statistical analysis using IBM® SPSS Statistics28. Results 49 out of 53 (93.45%) healthcare professionals responded to the survey: 71.43% reported increased awareness, and responses were almost equally divided between those who initiated projects (46.94%) and those who did not (53.06%). Most participants (93.88%) did not find the WDAD 2023 one-day point prevalence study in March burdensome, and all expressed interest in future participation. The WDAD 2023 one-day point prevalence study highlighted diverse projects, primarily focused on delirium awareness and education. The survey found suggestions for future improvements emphasizing more efficient, digital, and engaging research methods and a clear need for educational resources, particularly in ICU delirium. Conclusions Our survey finds that participation in WDAD 2023 one-day point prevalence study boosted delirium visibility, leading to ongoing awareness, interest in future studies, and practice changes that benefit patients and the healthcare system. Further evidence-based research is needed to assess the impact of these campaigns on delirium recognition and management.