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.

Classification

Experience and impactInformant tools

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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.
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No eligible DTA study identifiedRelated context

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

Evidence

Evidence maturityNo eligible DTA study identified

Reported metric context

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

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Information checked: 2026-07-19

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Sources checked 2026-07-29. How profiles are prepared.