title: Queen Elizabeth Behavioural Assessment Graphical System.
abstract: The Queen Elizabeth Behavioural Assessment Graphical Scale (QEBAGS) is presented as a new, descriptive rating method for documenting behavioural disturbances in a variety of clinical settings. The scale utilises three categories of behavioural disturbances which may occur in isolation or may co-exist. These are documented on a graphical plot across a 24 hours' time span. Neither diagnostic information nor severity of a particular behavioural disturbance needs to be interpreted before a rating on each parameter can be made, thus allowing its use by any intelligent observer, including a carer at home. Documenting of behavioural disturbance across day and night, by intermittent or regular observations, provides valuable information on the time, course and pattern of behavioural disturbance, from which diagnostic and therapeutic directions can be inferred. In preliminary clinical use, the scale has improved documentation of behavioural disturbance and communication between health professionals about such behaviour and its management. The scale also has the potential to provide supportive documentation for the Resident Classification Index in Nursing Homes and Personal Care Assessment Index in Hostels. The scale is most effective in situations where moderate to severe disturbance of behaviour is present. Where there is little or no disturbance, the system is unlikely to be of benefit. Clinical examples of its utility are presented.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Prodger
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hurley
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Clarke
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bauer
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000374:Aggression; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003704:Dementia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D005851:Geriatric Nursing; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009730:Nursing Assessment