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DEL-B: Delirium Burden

2019

Two parallel eight-item questionnaires measure subjective delirium burden in patients and family caregivers. Each produces a 0-40 total and is an experience measure, not a detection or severity scale for the syndrome itself.

At a glance

Purpose
Experience and impact
Population
Adult
Setting
General / acute hospital
Time
brief retrospective questionnaire; exact completion time not reported in the primary paper
Items
8
Score or threshold
0–40 (each form)

Format: DEL-B-P is completed from the patient's perspective and DEL-B-C from the family caregiver's perspective. Each form has eight paired experience-and-distress ratings and a 0-40 total; item wording is not reproduced here.

  • Strengths: Captures patient/caregiver burden, a neglected outcome
  • Limitations: Not a detection tool; further validation ongoing

CAM usually means the four-feature short form; the long form has ten items. Check which form and supporting assessment the study used. Short and long CAM explained.

Primary validation papers

0 identified diagnostic-accuracy papers

Other forms of validation are described in the evidence section. What is counted?

Large-scale clinical implementation

Not yet reviewed.

A focused implementation review has not yet been completed for this profile.

Training and instructions

  • Caregiver DEL-B form. Public instrument material checked on 5 September 2026. Follow the source’s version and permission conditions.
  • Patient DEL-B form. Public instrument material checked on 5 September 2026. Follow the source’s version and permission conditions.
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Tool and original sources

A source for the tool or its access information is linked below. Check the version and current terms before use, copying or adaptation.

Open the official tool page ↗ Read the full paper ↗ NIDUS information cards ↗

Original paper

  • Original paperRacine AM, D'Aquila M, Schmitt EM, Gallagher J, Marcantonio ER, Jones RN, et al. Delirium Burden in Patients and Family Caregivers: Development and Testing of New Instruments. The Gerontologist. 2019;59(5):e393-e402. doi: 10.1093/geront/gny041. PMID: 29746694.

    This is the original published source for DEL-B itself. It is the main source for the method, its intended use and the evidence available at publication.

    Open PubMed ↗
No eligible DTA study identifiedRelated context
Classification

Classification

Experience and impactInformant tools

A tool may belong to more than one category. Select a linked category to see other relevant profiles.

Evidence

Diagnostic-accuracy evidenceNo eligible DTA study identified

Reported sensitivity and specificity

;
Sensitivity
;
Specificity

Burden/distress instruments; Cronbach α 0.82–0.86, test–retest 0.73; validated vs CAM/CAM-S (n=247 patients, 213 caregivers).

More evidence and citation details
Full name
Delirium Burden
Also known as
DEL-B
Evidence summary
single
Reference standard
CAM / CAM-S
Reliability
α 0.82–0.86; test–retest 0.73
Citation
Racine AM, D'Aquila M, Schmitt EM, et al. Delirium Burden in patients and family caregivers: development and testing of new instruments. Gerontologist. 2019;59(5):e393-e402. PMID 29746694
Download RIS ↗ Download BibTeX ↗

Primary validation studies

Distinct primary publications from the current diagnostic-accuracy audit. Reviews and repeated evaluations within one paper are not counted again. Overlapping cohorts have not all been reconciled. Read the counting rules and limitations.

No eligible diagnostic-accuracy paper is currently included in this audit. This does not mean the tool has never been validated. The source paper and other evidence on this profile may concern severity, reliability or another measurement purpose.

Copyright and reuse
Version
Use the current version supplied by the resource page
Information checked
2026-07-19

Instrument-specific terms apply. See the access and copyright policy or send a correction.

Base clinical review: 2026-07-29. Instrument description source check: 2026-09-05. Scope and limitations.