23 Apr 2025
Older patients in particular often suffer from delirium after surgery—an acute state of confusion that can lead to falls, cognitive decline, or an increased need for care.
The goal is to create a specially tailored treatment pathway for particularly vulnerable patients aged 65 and over. | © LMU Klinikum
To reduce the risks of postoperative delirium, AOK Bayern and LMU Klinikum München have signed a quality agreement. The aim is to develop a specially tailored treatment pathway for particularly vulnerable patients aged 65 and over, thereby taking preventive action against postoperative delirium. The quality agreement will initially run for two years and will be evaluated by the Institute for Quality Assurance and Transparency in Healthcare (IQTIG).
"Patients often have to stay in hospital longer after delirium and suffer from a reduced quality of life," says Dr. Thomas Saller, senior physician at the Department of Anesthesiology and head of anesthesia in orthopedics at LMU Hospital. This makes it all the more important to take proactive action and establish more preventive approaches in inpatient care as well. "Previous research projects have already provided us with valuable insights, which we can now implement on a broad scale with the support of the AOK," explains Dr. Saller.
The new treatment pathway provides for various preventive measures to avoid delirium. Depending on their risk status, patients are examined for delirium at an early stage. To this end, interdisciplinary teams of doctors, nurses, and therapists discuss the individual risk of delirium and recommend appropriate preventive and treatment measures. In order to keep the fasting period before surgery as short as possible, patients are given specific guidance on eating and drinking. In addition, delirium management training is provided for hospital staff, patients, and their relatives.
"With the new quality agreement, we want to help prevent complications such as postoperative delirium and thus improve the quality of care for patients. We are delighted to have gained a partner in LMU Klinikum München, which has built up extensive expertise in consistent delirium management over many years," says Dr. Tobias Hermann, Head of Inpatient Care at AOK Bayern.
With the Hospital Structure Act, the legislature created the possibility of concluding quality contracts in 2016. The aim is to test whether the quality of inpatient care can be further improved through innovative care concepts. AOK Bayern serves more than 4.6 million insured persons in Bavaria and, with around 200 offices, is the first point of contact for insured persons, healthcare partners, and service providers. This makes it the largest statutory health and long-term care insurance fund in Bavaria.