Affiliation:
1. University of Toronto
2. Western University
3. Schwartz/Reisman Emergency Medicine Institute
Abstract
As a first step towards enhanced awareness and monitoring of cognitive safety, we review relevant literature and develop a list of cognitively risky medical interventions that have been frequently cited. We then focus on delirium as a major contributor to cognitive decline and review current and emerging methods of clinical assessment of cognitive status, assessing their utility as cognitive safety monitoring tools in clinical practice. We conclude by proposing a framework for improving cognitive safety in healthcare.