← All public profiles

GAR: Global Attentiveness Rating

1997

A brief global clinician rating of a patient's attentiveness during interview, used as a rapid proxy for the inattention central to delirium.

At a glance

Purpose
Domain-specific or adjunctive measure
Population
Adult
Time
variable
Global rating
1

Format: A clinician marks attentiveness on a 10-cm visual analogue scale after conversation with the patient. It is a global judgement of attention, not a separate set of scored questions.

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

Public training resources have not yet been confirmed in this review. Check the linked developer or original source for instructions.

Start here

Tool and original sources

This record describes a method rather than a downloadable bedside form. The main source is linked below.

Original paper

  • Original paperO'Keeffe ST, Gosney MA. Assessing attentiveness in older hospital patients: global assessment versus tests of attention. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. 1997;45(4):470-3. doi: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.1997.tb05173.x. PMID: 9100717.

    This is the original published source for GAR. 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

Domain-specific or adjunctive measureCognitive tests designed for deliriumDetailed phenomenological and/or neuropsychological assessment

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

Global attentiveness rated on a 10-cm visual analogue scale; bedside attention tests aided identification of delirium (n=87 completing).

More evidence and citation details
Full name
Global Attentiveness Rating
Also known as
GAR
Evidence summary
single
Citation
O'Keeffe ST, Gosney MA. Assessing attentiveness in older hospital patients: global assessment versus tests of attention. J Am Geriatr Soc. 1997;45(4):470-3. PMID 9100717
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
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.