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Prospective study of a proactive palliative care rounding intervention in a medical ICU
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Prospective study of a proactive palliative care rounding intervention in a medical ICU

Nicholas Braus, Toby C Campbell, Kristine L Kwekkeboom, Susan Ferguson, Carrie Harvey, Anna E Krupp, Tara Lohmeier, Michael D Repplinger, Ryan P Westergaard, Elizabeth A Jacobs, …
Intensive care medicine, Vol.42(1), pp.54-62
01/01/2016
DOI: 10.1007/s00134-015-4098-1
PMCID: PMC4945103
PMID: 26556622
url
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/4945103View
Open Access

Abstract

To evaluate the effects of a palliative care intervention on clinical and family outcomes, and palliative care processes. Prospective, before-and-after interventional study enrolling patients with high risk of mortality, morbidity, or unmet palliative care needs in a 24-bed academic intensive care unit (ICU). The intervention involved a palliative care clinician interacting with the ICU physicians on daily rounds for high-risk patients. One hundred patients were enrolled in the usual care phase, and 103 patients were enrolled during the intervention phase. The adjusted likelihood of a family meeting in ICU was 63% higher (RR 1.63, 95% CI 1.14-2.07, p = 0.01), and time to family meeting was 41% shorter (95% CI 52-28% shorter, p < 0.001). Adjusted ICU length of stay (LOS) was not significantly different between the two groups (6% shorter, 95% CI 16% shorter to 4% longer, p = 0.22). Among those who died in the hospital, ICU LOS was 19% shorter in the intervention (95% CI 33-1% shorter, p = 0.043). Adjusted hospital LOS was 26% shorter (95% CI 31-20% shorter, p < 0.001) with the intervention. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms were present in 9.1% of family respondents during the intervention versus 20.7% prior to the intervention (p = 0.09). Mortality, family depressive symptoms, family satisfaction and quality of death and dying did not significantly differ between groups. Proactive palliative care involvement on ICU rounds for high-risk patients was associated with more and earlier ICU family meetings and shorter hospital LOS. We did not identify differences in family satisfaction, family psychological symptoms, or family-rated quality of dying, but had limited power to detect such differences.
Aged Aged, 80 and over Decision Making Family - psychology Female Humans Intensive Care Units - organization & administration Length of Stay Logistic Models Male Middle Aged Palliative Care - organization & administration Patient Care Team - organization & administration Professional-Family Relations Prospective Studies Terminal Care - organization & administration

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