SSQ: Single Screening Question for Delirium
2015A single informant/screening question for delirium case-finding, in the same spirit as the SQiD.
Classification
A tool may belong to more than one category. Select a linked category to see other relevant profiles.
Tool and original sources
This record describes a method rather than a downloadable bedside form. The main source is linked below.
Original and selected diagnostic-accuracy papers
- First reported evaluationHendry K, Quinn TJ, Evans JJ, Stott DJ. Informant single screening questions for delirium and dementia in acute care--a cross-sectional test accuracy pilot study. BMC geriatrics. 2015;15:17. doi: 10.1186/s12877-015-0016-1. PMID: 25885022.
This is the principal published source for SSQ. It reported sensitivity of 76.9% and specificity of 56.1% against CAM.
Article PDF: CC BY. This licence applies to the article PDF and does not grant rights to reproduce the tool.
- Selected diagnostic-accuracy studyHan JH, Wilson A, Schnelle JF, Dittus RS, Ely EW. An evaluation of single question delirium screening tools in older emergency department patients. The American journal of emergency medicine. 2018;36(7):1249-1252. doi: 10.1016/j.ajem.2018.03.060. PMID: 29699898.
This diagnostic-accuracy study evaluated SSQ in emergency department against an independent DSM-IV-TR clinical assessment. It reported sensitivity of 77.1% and specificity of 87.5% in 406 English-speaking emergency patients aged 65 years or older; 50 delirium cases.
At a glance
- Purpose
- Episodic assessment
- Population
- Adult
- Time
- <1 min
- Items
- 1
- Score or threshold
- Positive or negative single-question case-finding result; see the source for the exact wording and rule.
Format: A single informant screening question concerning possible delirium, normally completed in under one minute. The exact prompt and response rule are not reproduced here.
Evidence
Reported sensitivity and specificity
Original/source study · 2015 — pmid:25885022
- Denominator
- Reported source unit: 70 (analysis unit not fully reconciled)
- Reference standard
- CAM
Earliest DTA evaluation identified in the current audit; see the linked source and methodological caveats.
More evidence and citation details
- Full name
- Single Screening Question for Delirium
- Also known as
- SSQ, Single Screening Question
- Evidence summary
- multi
- Diagnostic-accuracy studies
- 2
- Reference standard
- CAM
- Citation
- Hendry K, Quinn TJ, Evans JJ, Stott DJ Informant single screening questions for delirium and dementia in acute care--a cross-sectional test accuracy pilot study BMC geriatrics. 2015;15:17. PMID 25885022
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.