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mCAM-ED: Modified Confusion Assessment Method for the ED

2014

mCAM-ED is an emergency-department pathway that applies CAM-family principles to screening, assessment and subsequent management in older patients.

At a glance

Purpose
Episodic assessment
Population
Adult
Setting
Emergency department
Time
variable
Items
4
Score or threshold
CAM-derived emergency-department classification; see the source.

Format: A four-feature emergency-department CAM pathway linking assessment and subsequent management. The prompts, feature wording and complete operational algorithm are not reproduced here.

Primary validation papers

1 identified diagnostic-accuracy paper

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

No direct copy is linked here. The original paper and a Google Images search are available below. Image results may be unofficial; check the version and source before use.

Search Google Images ↗ NIDUS information cards ↗

Original and selected diagnostic-accuracy papers

  • Original paperGrossmann FF, Hasemann W, Graber A, Bingisser R, Kressig RW, Nickel CH. Screening, detection and management of delirium in the emergency department - a pilot study on the feasibility of a new algorithm for use in older emergency department patients: the modified Confusion Assessment Method for the Emergency Department (mCAM-ED). Scandinavian journal of trauma, resuscitation and emergency medicine. 2014;22:19. doi: 10.1186/1757-7241-22-19. PMID: 24625212.

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

    Open PubMed ↗Download article PDF ↓

    Article PDF: CC BY. This licence applies to the article PDF and does not grant rights to reproduce the tool.

  • Selected diagnostic-accuracy studyHasemann W, Grossmann FF, Stadler R, Bingisser R, Breil D, Hafner M, et al. Screening and detection of delirium in older ED patients: performance of the modified Confusion Assessment Method for the Emergency Department (mCAM-ED). A two-step tool. Internal and emergency medicine. 2018;13(6):915-922. doi: 10.1007/s11739-017-1781-y. PMID: 29290048.

    This diagnostic-accuracy study evaluated mCAM-ED in emergency department against an independent DSM-IV-TR clinical assessment. It reported sensitivity of 80% and specificity of 98% in 286 consecutive emergency patients aged 65 years or older.

    Open PubMed ↗
One DTA study identifiedAssessment workflow
Classification

Classification

Episodic assessment

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

Evidence

Diagnostic-accuracy evidenceOne DTA study identified

Reported sensitivity and specificity

Headline metric source

Later validation or evaluation · 2018; pmid:29290048

Denominator
Reported source unit: 286 (analysis unit not fully reconciled)
Reference standard
Attending geriatrician DSM-IV-TR delirium assessment, free of other clinical duties during the study assessment
90%
Sensitivity
97.7%
Specificity

Earliest DTA evaluation identified in the current audit; see the linked source and methodological caveats.

More evidence and citation details
Full name
Modified Confusion Assessment Method for the ED
Also known as
mCAM-ED, modified CAM for the Emergency Department, CAM-ED
Related profiles
CAM
Evidence summary
single
Diagnostic-accuracy evaluations
1
Reference standard
Attending geriatrician DSM-IV-TR delirium assessment, free of other clinical duties during the study assessment
Citation
Grossmann FF, Hasemann W, Graber A, Bingisser R, Kressig RW, Nickel CH Screening, detection and management of delirium in the emergency department - a pilot study on the feasibility of a new algorithm for use in older emergency department patients: the modified Confusion Assessment Method for the Emergency Department (mCAM-ED) Scandinavian journal of trauma, resuscitation and emergency medicine. 2014;22:19. PMID 24625212
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.

Open 1 identified paper
  1. Hasemann W, Grossmann FF, Stadler R, Bingisser R, Breil D, Hafner M, Kressig RW, Nickel CH (2018). Screening and detection of delirium in older ED patients: performance of the modified Confusion Assessment Method for the Emergency Department (mCAM-ED). A two-step tool. Internal and emergency medicine.

    Reference category: independent clinical reference.

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.