How and Why Educational Interventions Work to Increase Knowledge of Delirium Among Healthcare Professionals in Nursing Homes: a Protocol for a Realist Review

Overview

Journal BMJ Open

Specialty General Medicine

Date 2023 Jul 26

PMID 37495388

Authors

Vincent Molitor

Theresa Sophie Busse

Chantal Giehl

Romy Lauer

Ina Carola Otte

Horst Christian Vollmar

Petra Thurmann

Bernhard Holle

Rebecca Palm

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Delirium is a neuropathological condition that impairs cognitive performance, attention and consciousness and can be potentially life-threatening. Nursing home residents are particularly vulnerable to developing delirium, but research thus far tends to focus on the acute hospital setting. Healthcare professionals (HCPs) working in nursing homes seem to be little aware of delirium. To improve healthcare for affected or at-risk individuals, increasing knowledge among HCPs is highly relevant. Using the realist review method helps to understand how and why an educational intervention for HCPs on delirium in nursing homes works.

Methods And Analysis: In accordance with the Realist And Meta-narrative Evidence Syntheses: Evolving Standards publication standards for realist syntheses, the review process will include the following five steps: (1) search strategy and literature review; (2) study selection and assessment; (3) data extraction; (4) data synthesis and (5) development of an initial programme theory. The literature search will be conducted in the databases Medline (PubMed), CINAHL (Ebsco), Scopus, Web of Science, GeroLit and Carelit. Additional focuses are on snowballing techniques, hand research and grey literature. Studies of any design will be included to develop the initial programme theory. The literature will be selected by two researchers independently. In addition, the experiences of HCPs from nursing homes will be reflected in group discussions. To this end, Context-Mechanism-Outcome configurations (CMOcs) will be established to develop an initial programme theory.

Ethics And Dissemination: The results will be disseminated within the scientific community. For this purpose, presentations at scientific conferences as well as publications in peer-reviewed journals are scheduled. In the next step, the CMOcs could serve for the development of a complex educational intervention to increase the knowledge of HCPs on delirium in nursing homes.

Registration Details: This protocol has been registered at Open Science Framework (https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/HTFU4).

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Mitani S, Ogawara H, Miyagawa S, Doorenbos A, Fukahori H BMJ Open. 2025; 15(3):e087837.

PMID: 40050059 PMC: 11887286. DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2024-087837.

Educational interventions aimed at improving knowledge of delirium among nursing home staff-a realist review.

Molitor V, Busse T, Giehl C, Lauer R, Otte I, Vollmar H BMC Geriatr. 2024; 24(1):633.

PMID: 39054433 PMC: 11274774. DOI: 10.1186/s12877-024-05213-9.

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