FAM-CAM: Family Confusion Assessment Method
2012FAM-CAM is an informant-completed CAM-family case-finding measure that uses a family member's or caregiver's knowledge of recent change.
Classification
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Tool and original sources
Copyright restrictions mean that a copy of FAM-CAM cannot be provided on this website. Use the official access page below. Google Images may also help you see what the form looks like.
Original and selected diagnostic-accuracy papers
- Original paperSteis MR, Evans L, Hirschman KB, Hanlon A, Fick DM, Flanagan N, et al. Screening for delirium using family caregivers: convergent validity of the Family Confusion Assessment Method and interviewer-rated Confusion Assessment Method. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. 2012;60(11):2121-6. doi: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2012.04200.x. PMID: 23039310.
This paper reports the original validation of FAM-CAM. It is the main source for the method, its intended use and the evidence available at publication.
- Selected diagnostic-accuracy studyFiest KM, Krewulak KD, Ely EW, Davidson JE, Ismail Z, Sept BG, et al. Partnering With Family Members to Detect Delirium in Critically Ill Patients. Critical care medicine. 2020;48(7):954-961. doi: 10.1097/CCM.0000000000004367. PMID: 32332281.
This diagnostic-accuracy study evaluated FAM-CAM in large tertiary-care academic adult ICU against an independent DSM-5 clinical assessment. It reported sensitivity of 54.1% and specificity of 76.8% in 147 ICU patient-family dyads.
- Selected diagnostic-accuracy studyMartins S, Conceição F, Paiva JA, Simões MR, Fernandes L. Delirium recognition by family: European Portuguese validation study of the family confusion assessment method. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. 2014;62(9):1748-52. doi: 10.1111/jgs.12973. PMID: 25039562.
This diagnostic-accuracy study evaluated FAM-CAM in intermediate-care unit in a Portuguese tertiary hospital against a DSM-IV-TR clinical assessment. It reported sensitivity of 75% and specificity of 91% in 40 family members or caregivers of older hospitalised adults.
At a glance
- Purpose
- Episodic assessment
- Population
- Adult
- Setting
- General / acute hospital, Long-term / care home
- Time
- variable
- Items
- 11
- Score or threshold
- CAM-family informant classification; see the authorised form.
Format: An 11-item informant measure covering recent change and CAM-related clinical domains. The questions, response options, weights and decision rule are not reproduced here.
- Strengths: Family-informant detection incl. with pre-existing impairment
- Limitations: Small validation; not standalone diagnosis
Evidence
Reported sensitivity and specificity
Convergent validity, n=52 dyads.
More evidence and citation details
- Full name
- Family Confusion Assessment Method
- Also known as
- FAM-CAM
- Evidence summary
- multi
- Diagnostic-accuracy studies
- 8
- Reference standard
- Interviewer CAM
- Reliability
- κ 0.85
- Citation
- Steis MR, Evans L, Hirschman KB, Hanlon A, Fick DM, Flanagan N, Inouye SK Screening for delirium using family caregivers: convergent validity of the Family Confusion Assessment Method and interviewer-rated Confusion Assessment Method Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. 2012;60(11):2121-6. PMID 23039310
Copyright and reuse
- Version
- Use the current FAM-CAM supplied by the author-led resource page
- Rights holder
- Hospital Elder Life Program (copyright); Aging Brain Center (permissions administrator)
- Licence
- ALL-RIGHTS-RESERVED-PERMISSION-REQUIRED
- 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.