DEQ: Delirium Experience Questionnaire
2002A six-question, face-valid interview about recall of a delirium episode and related distress, with an open description of the experience. It is used after recovery and does not detect current delirium.
Classification
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Tool and original sources
This record describes a method rather than a downloadable bedside form. The main source is linked below.
Original paper
- Original paperBreitbart W, Gibson C, Tremblay A. The delirium experience: delirium recall and delirium-related distress in hospitalized patients with cancer, their spouses/caregivers, and their nurses. Psychosomatics. 2002;43(3):183-94. doi: 10.1176/appi.psy.43.3.183. PMID: 12075033.
This is the original published source for DEQ. It is the main source for the method, its intended use and the evidence available at publication.
At a glance
- Purpose
- Experience and impact
- Population
- Adult
- Setting
- General / acute hospital, Palliative care
- Time
- brief post-delirium interview; exact completion time not reported in the original paper
- Items
- 6
Format: The DEQ uses six branching questions to record whether the person recalls confusion, distress when recall is absent or present, graded distress, and an open account. Parallel perspectives were obtained from patients, caregivers and nurses in the source study; exact wording is not reproduced.
Evidence
Reported metric context
Experience/distress measure, not a diagnostic test (n=154).
More evidence and citation details
- Full name
- Delirium Experience Questionnaire
- Also known as
- DEQ
- Evidence summary
- single
- Citation
- Breitbart W, Gibson C, Tremblay A. The delirium experience: delirium recall and delirium-related distress in hospitalized patients with cancer, their spouses/caregivers, and their nurses. Psychosomatics. 2002;43(3):183-94. PMID 12075033
Copyright and reuse
- Information checked
- 2026-07-19
Instrument-specific terms apply. See the access and copyright policy or send a correction.
Sources checked 2026-07-29. How profiles are prepared.