Geriatrician delirium researcher writer

Alasdair MacLullich Clinical work, research and public resources

I am Professor of Geriatric Medicine at the University of Edinburgh and work in acute geriatric medicine and acute orthogeriatrics at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.

My work aims to improve how delirium is recognised, assessed, explained and acted on, from clinical care and the 4AT to practical information for families. This site brings the work together and directs each reader to the right resource.

Start with delirium Explore the work University profile

Selected work

Delirium resources

Separate websites for patients, families, clinicians, researchers and the wider public.

01 Delirium Support Plain-English information about delirium for patients, families and carers. 02 The 4AT A brief assessment for possible delirium and cognitive impairment, with a user guide, evidence and translations. 03 Delirium Tools A referenced catalogue of delirium assessment tools, with profiles, evidence and source links. 04 Delirium Words Articles and commentary about delirium. 05 Think Delirium Videos about delirium for healthcare professionals, patients and carers. 06 World Delirium Awareness Day The website for World Delirium Awareness Day, an iDelirium initiative. 07 Delirium journal An open-access scientific journal published by the European Delirium Association. 08 Delirium Academy Practical online education about delirium for healthcare professionals.

Books

Longer-form guides

Writing for patients, families, carers and healthcare professionals.

Published 30 July 2026

The 4AT Manual: A Practical Guide to Delirium Assessment

A 104-page guide to using the 4AT: why it was developed, how to administer and score it, how to interpret the result and decide what to do next, worked clinical cases from a range of settings, and notes on implementation and audit. Written for nurses, doctors, allied health professionals, students and educators. Free to download as a PDF or EPUB, with no registration.

Also available as a Kindle e-book from Amazon UK, or from your local Amazon store. Paperback and hardback editions coming soon.

Read and download the manual on the4AT.com All books

Publication October 2026

Delirium (Acute Confusion): A Family Guide to Sudden Changes in Thinking and Memory

By Professor Alasdair MacLullich and Dr Sharmella Summan

Written for patients, families and carers, including advice for people living with dementia.

Read about the family guide

Writing & media

Articles, videos and research

Public-facing writing and teaching sit alongside my academic publications.

Media and speaking Biographies, expertise, sources and enquiries Delirium Words Articles and commentary Think Delirium Videos and teaching Research Explorer Publications and academic activity ORCID iD 0000-0003-3159-9370 Google Scholar Citations and research profile

Current roles

Clinical and academic work

University of Edinburgh: Professor of Geriatric Medicine
Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh: Clinical work in acute geriatric medicine and acute orthogeriatrics
Delirium: Editor-in-Chief
Scottish Hip Fracture Audit: Chair

Contact

Professional enquiries

Please use the current contact details on my University of Edinburgh profile.

University profile

I cannot provide individual medical advice.