Cabell Huntington Hospital has been selected as a pilot site for CIRAC (Cognitive Impairment Recognition in Acute Care) The CIRAC project aims to reduce readmissions and improve health outcomes by detecting cognitive impairment of patients in the hospital setting.
When a person has trouble remembering, learning new things, concentrating, or making decisions that affect their everyday life, it is considered cognitive impairment. Cognitive impairment ranges from mild to severe and can affect a person’s ability to get the maximum benefit from a stay in the hospital due to the inability to retain information.
“Approximately 50 percent of individuals with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia do not have the diagnosis in their medical record,” said Shirley M. Neitch, MD, FACP, Maier Professor of Clinical Research, Chief of Geriatrics at Marshall University/Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, internist at Cabell Huntington Hospital and project leader for CIRAC. “This project will use an observation method to assist all hospital/acute care staff to recognize impaired patients.”
Failure to recognize cognitive impairment in hospitalized patients leads to poor outcomes. Many signs of cognitive changes are subtle and may be ignored or not recognized. The CIRAC project uses staff across multiple disciplines and skill levels to help achieve better outcomes for patients with cognitive impairments through collaboration and quick identification.
“When a person is unable to fully understand what is being explained to them about their care or what they should do to maintain that care on their own, there is a larger risk for readmission,” said Teresa Sexton, RN, director of Nursing and Senior Services at CHH. “This project will take a look at current processes and help us develop the necessary assessment and identification tools to recognize cognitive impairment no matter where the patient is in the care process.”
Sexton said by identifying cognitive impairment, processes are changed and appropriate medical attention can be administered, increasing safety and decreasing length of stay and readmission.
“It begins with educating our staff about universal observations and what to do when any signs of cognitive impairment are present,” she explained. “A multidisciplinary steering committee has been formed to provide education for all employees. The project will officially begin tracking progress to benchmark against other hospital outcomes this summer.”
The CIRAC project is a partnership between Cabell Huntington Hospital Senior Services, the Alzheimer’s Association of West Virginia and the Marshal University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine. To learn more about cognitive impairment, please call Cabell Huntington Hospital Senior Services at 304-562-2695.
