Delirium recovery care after emergency surgery
Emergency General Surgery Delirium Recovery Model: A Collaborative Care Intervention
A team-based care program to help older adults regain thinking, mood, and daily abilities after delirium from emergency surgery.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Wisconsin-Madison NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Madison, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11129888 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you are an older adult who had emergency abdominal or other urgent surgery and experienced delirium in the hospital, this program would connect you with a coordinated care team to support recovery. The team would work with your primary care and surgical doctors to monitor thinking, mood, and daily functioning after discharge. You could receive tailored support such as cognitive monitoring, physical rehabilitation referrals, medication review, and mental health or caregiver support. The approach builds on collaborative care models that coordinate specialists and primary care to address complex needs after hospitalization.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Older adults (typically 65 and up) who had emergency general or intra-abdominal surgery and experienced an episode of delirium during their hospital stay are the best candidates.
Not a fit: Younger patients, people who did not develop delirium after surgery, or those with terminal illness or severe pre-existing advanced dementia may not benefit from this program.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this program could help people recover thinking and daily function faster and lower the risk of long-term cognitive decline or loss of independence.
How similar studies have performed: Collaborative-care programs have helped older adults with depression and other post-hospital problems, but applying them specifically to delirium recovery after emergency surgery is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Madison, United States
- University of Wisconsin-Madison — Madison, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zarzaur, Ben L — University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Study coordinator: Zarzaur, Ben L
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.