Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33009909›Full record

SynthesisAge and ageing2021

Screening instruments for cognitive impairment in older patients in the Emergency Department: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Agneta H Calf, Maaike A Pouw, Barbara C van Munster, Johannes G M Burgerhof, Sophia E de Rooij, Nynke Smidt

Open access · bronzeAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Age and ageing, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 18 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
18citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
1.4field-weighted citation impact, top 16% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

18 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 32 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Article
  4. Review
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Review
  10. Article
  11. Article
  12. Detection and differentiation of undiagnosed dementia in the emergency department: A pilot referral pathway.Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association · 2025
    Article
  13. Article
  14. Observational
  15. Article
  16. Detecting Cognitive Impairment and Dementia in the Emergency Department: A Scoping Review.Journal of the American Medical Directors Association · 2022
    Article
  17. Article
  18. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

Agneta H CalfDepartment of Geriatrics, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Maaike A PouwDepartment of Geriatrics, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Barbara C van MunsterDepartment of Geriatrics, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Johannes G M BurgerhofDepartment of Epidemiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Sophia E de RooijDepartment of Geriatrics, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Nynke SmidtDepartment of Geriatrics, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
University Medical Center Groningen · NLMartini Ziekenhuis · NLMedisch Spectrum Twente · NLUniversity of Groningen · NL

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundcognitive impairment is highly prevalent among older patients attending the Emergency Department (ED) and is associated with adverse outcomes.

methodswe conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of cognitive screening instruments to rule out cognitive impairment in older patients in the ED. A comprehensive literature search was performed in MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and CENTRAL. A risk of bias assessment using QUADAS-2 was performed.

results23 articles, examining 18 different index tests were included. Only seven index tests could be included in the meta-analysis. For ruling out cognitive impairment irrespective of aetiology, Ottawa 3 Day Year (O3DY) (pooled sensitivity 0.90; (95% CI) 0.71-0.97) had the highest sensitivity. Fourteen articles focused on screening for cognitive impairment specifically caused by delirium. For ruling out delirium, the 4 A's Test (4AT) showed highest sensitivity (pooled sensitivity 0.87, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.74-0.94).

conclusionshigh clinical and methodological heterogeneity was found between included studies. Therefore, it is a challenge to recommend one diagnostic test for use as a screening instrument for cognitive impairment in the ED. The 4AT and O3DY seem most promising for ruling out cognitive impairment in older patients attending the ED.The review protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42018082509).

Indexed as

Cognitive DysfunctionGeriatric AssessmentAgedEmergency Service, HospitalHumansMass Screeningcognitive impairmentdeliriumdementiaEmergency Departmentolder peoplescreening

Identifiers

PMID33009909
PMCPMC7793600
OpenAlexW3091684411

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.