Intensive care or palliative care for critically ill patients with hematological malignancy: guideline to facilitate the decision making process

Hématologie ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (6) ◽  
pp. 429-438
Author(s):  
François Blot ◽  
Alexis Burnod ◽  
Gisèle Chvetzoff
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Palliative Care ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Critically Ill ◽  
Critically Ill Patients ◽  
Hematological Malignancy ◽  
Decision Making Process

scholarly journals UK consultants’ experiences of the decision-making process around referral to intensive care: an interview study

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. e044752
Author(s):  
Kaja Heidenreich ◽  
Anne-Marie Slowther ◽  
Frances Griffiths ◽  
Anders Bremer ◽  
Mia Svantesson
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Moral Responsibility ◽  
Critically Ill ◽  
Interpersonal Relationships ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Working Environment ◽  
Critically Ill Patient ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Moral Duties

ObjectiveThe decision whether to initiate intensive care for the critically ill patient involves ethical questions regarding what is good and right for the patient. It is not clear how referring doctors negotiate these issues in practice. The aim of this study was to describe and understand consultants’ experiences of the decision-making process around referral to intensive care.DesignQualitative interviews were analysed according to a phenomenological hermeneutical method.Setting and participantsConsultant doctors (n=27) from departments regularly referring patients to intensive care in six UK hospitals.ResultsIn the precarious and uncertain situation of critical illness, trust in the decision-making process is needed and can be enhanced through the way in which the process unfolds. When there are no obvious right or wrong answers as to what ought to be done, how the decision is made and how the process unfolds is morally important. Through acknowledging the burdensome doubts in the process, contributing to an emerging, joint understanding of the patient’s situation, and responding to mutual moral duties of the doctors involved, trust in the decision-making process can be enhanced and a shared moral responsibility between the stake holding doctors can be assumed.ConclusionThe findings highlight the importance of trust in the decision-making process and how the relationships between the stakeholding doctors are crucial to support their moral responsibility for the patient. Poor interpersonal relationships can damage trust and negatively impact decisions made on behalf of a critically ill patient. For this reason, active attempts must be made to foster good relationships between doctors. This is not only important to create a positive working environment, but a mechanism to improve patient outcomes.

Feasibility and Acceptability of a Palliative Approach Screening Tool in the Intensive Care Unit

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 214-220
Author(s):  
Jane Venis ◽  
Peter Dodek
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Palliative Care ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Critically Ill ◽  
Critically Ill Patients ◽  
Screening Tool ◽  
Unmet Needs ◽  
Pilot Testing ◽  
Palliative Approach

Background Identifying critically ill patients who have unmet needs for palliative care is the first step in integrating the palliative approach for patients and their families into intensive care units. Objective To explore how palliative care is addressed in an intensive care unit and to develop and test a screening tool for unmet needs that may be met through the palliative approach. Methods A mixed-methods study was conducted in the intensive care unit of a tertiary care hospital to explore the palliative approach. Focus groups and a survey were used to identify items for the screening tool. After pilot testing of the tool, interviews were conducted to refine the content. Results The first focus group (14 participants) revealed participants’ frustration with unclear communication and a desire for better collaboration among health care team members regarding patients with serious life-limiting illnesses and their families. The survey (response rate: 20%; 30 of 150) showed clinicians’ preference for items that identify specific needs rather than diagnoses. The second focus group (8 participants) yielded strategies to operationalize the tool for all patients in the intensive care unit. After 2 separate pilot testing cycles, bedside nurses noted that use of the screening tool prompted earlier discussions and broader assessments of what is meaningful to patients and their families. Conclusion Development of a screening tool for unmet palliative care needs among intensive care unit patients is feasible and acceptable and may help to systematically integrate the palliative approach into routine care for critically ill patients.

Admission of the very elderly to the intensive care unit: Family members’ perspectives on clinical decision-making from a multicenter cohort study

2015 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 324-335 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daren K Heyland ◽  
Peter Dodek ◽  
Sangeeta Mehta ◽  
Deborah Cook ◽  
Allan Garland ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Cohort Study ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Elderly Patients ◽  
Critically Ill ◽  
Critically Ill Patients ◽  
Clinical Decision Making ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Very Elderly

Background: Little is known about the perspectives and experiences of family members of very elderly patients who are admitted to the intensive care unit. Aim: To describe family members’ perspectives about care provided to very elderly critically ill patients. Design: Multicenter, prospective, cohort study. Participants and setting: In total, 535 family members of patients aged 80 years or older admitted to 22 intensive care units for more than 24 h. Results: Family members reported that the “patient be comfortable and suffer as little as possible” was their most important value and “the belief that life should be preserved at all costs” was their least important value considered in making treatment decisions. Most family members (57.9%) preferred that life support be used for their family member, whereas 24.1% preferred comfort measures only, and 14.4% were unsure of their treatment preferences. Only 57.3% reported that a doctor had talked to them about treatment options for the patient. Overall, 29.7% of patients received life-sustaining treatments for more than 7 days and 50.3% of these died in hospital. Families were most satisfied with the skill and competency of nurses and least satisfied with being included and supported in the decision-making process and with their sense of control over the patient’s care. Conclusion: There is incongruity between family values and preferences for end-of-life care and actual care received for very elderly patients who are admitted to the intensive care unit. Deficiencies in communication and decision-making may be associated with prolonged use of life-sustaining treatments in very elderly critically ill patients, many of whom ultimately die.

Documentation of Crucial Information Relating to Critically Ill Patients

2017 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandria Bear ◽  
Elizabeth Thiel
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Palliative Care ◽  
Critically Ill ◽  
Critically Ill Patients ◽  
Chart Review ◽  
Retrospective Chart Review ◽  
Medical Decision ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Review Study

Background: Medical decision-making has evolved to the modern model of shared decision-making among patients, surrogate decision-makers, and medical providers. As such, informed consent discussions with critically ill patients often should include larger discussions relating to values and goals of care. Documentation of care options and prognosis serves as an important component of electronic communication relating to patient preferences among care providers. Objective: This retrospective chart review study sought to evaluate the prevalence of documentation of critical data, care options, prognosis, and medical plan, within primary team and palliative care consult team documentation. Results: Three hundred two electronic medical records were reviewed. There was a significant difference in documentation between palliative care and primary teams for prognosis (83% vs 32%, P < .001), care options (82% vs 50%, P < .001), and care plan (82% vs 46%, P < .001). Conclusions: Our retrospective chart review study demonstrated a significant difference in documentation between primary and palliative care teams. We acknowledge that review of documentation cannot be extrapolated to the presence or absence of conversations between providers and patients and/or surrogates. Additional studies to evaluate this connection would be advantageous.

scholarly journals Transforming the Intensive Care Culture Using the Palliative Approach

2014 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Diane Guay ◽  
Cécile Michaud ◽  
Luc Mathieu ◽  
Jacinthe Pepin
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Palliative Care ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Qualitative Inquiry ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Innovative Strategy ◽  
Care Approach ◽  
Main Components ◽  
Care Culture

Introduction: Although the ultimate goal of the intensive care unit (ICU) is to save and prolong human life, the integration of palliative care approach in this fast-paced highly technologic environment is increasingly recognized as a means of restoring the global nature of care and enhances the integrity of the person. In this perspective, a recent study showed that three conditions promote the integration of palliative care in the ICU: sharing a common vision, a collaborative decision-making process and a proper environment.Objective: In light of these findings, this study proposes to develop, implement and evaluate an intervention to integrate these previously identified conditions. The purpose of this communication is to present our approach and its main results.Method: Based on the premise that research and action can coexist to improve practice, a qualitative inquiry of action research was chosen for this study. Valuing the consensual decision-making process, this research method provides an organizational structure allowing success and sustainability of this intervention.Results: The intervention aims to improve the quality of interdisciplinary communication and consisted of two main components. The first propose to enhance the skills and leadership of nurses through interactive training and the second focused on the improvement of intra and inter disciplinary intervention plan.Conclusions: The integration of the palliative care approach in the ICU is definitely an innovative strategy to transform the mission of the ICU caregivers and improve the care of the whole person.

scholarly journals Differences in Characteristics, Hospital Care, and Outcomes between Acute Critically Ill Emergency Department Patients Receiving Palliative Care and Usual Care

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (23) ◽  
pp. 12546
Author(s):  
Julia Chia-Yu Chang ◽  
Che Yang ◽  
Li-Ling Lai ◽  
Hsien-Hao Huang ◽  
Shih-Hung Tsai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Emergency Department ◽  
Palliative Care ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Hospital Mortality ◽  
Usual Care ◽  
Critically Ill ◽  
Resource Utilization ◽  
Critically Ill Patients ◽  
Hospital Care

Background: The early integration of palliative care in the emergency department (ED-PC) provides several benefits, including improved quality of life with optimal comfort measures, and symptom control. Whether palliative care could affect the intensive care unit admissions, hospital care and resource utilization requires further investigation. Aim: To determine the differences in inpatient characteristics, hospital care, survival, and resource utilization between patients receiving palliative care (ED-PC) and usual care (UC). Design: Retrospective observational study. Setting/participants: We enrolled consecutive, acute, critically ill patients admitted to the emergency intensive care unit at Taipei Veterans General Hospital from 1 February 2018 to 31 January 2020. Results: A total of 1273 patients were evaluated for unmet palliative care needs; 685 patients received ED-PC and 588 received UC. The palliative care patients were more severely frail (AOR 2.217 (1.295–3.797), p = 0.004), had functional deterioration with three ADLs (AOR 1.348 (1.040–1.748), p = 0.024), biopsychosocial discomfort (AOR 1.696 (1.315–2.187), p < 0.001), higher Taiwan Triage and Acuity Scale 1 (p = 0.024), higher in-hospital mortality (AOR 1.983 (1.540–2.555), p < 0.001), were four times more likely to sign an DNR (AOR 4.536 (2.522–8.158), p < 0.001), and were twice as likely to sign an DNR at admission (AOR 2.1331.619–2.811), p < 0.001). Palliative care patients received less epinephrine (AOR 0.424 (0.265–0.678), p < 0.001), more frequent withdrawal of an endotracheal tube (AOR 8.780 (1.122–68.720), p = 0.038), and more narcotics (AOR1.675 (1.132–2.477), p = 0.010). Palliative care patients exhibited lower 7-day, 30-day, and 90-day survival rates (p < 0.001). There was no significant difference in the hospital length of stay (LOS) (21.2 ± 26.6 vs. 21.7 ± 20.6, p = 0.709) nor total hospital expenses (293,169 ± 350,043 vs. 294,161 ± 315,275, p = 0.958). Conclusion: Acute critically ill patients receiving palliative care were more frail, more critical, and had higher in-hospital mortality. Palliative care patients received less epinephrine, more endotracheal extubation, and more narcotics. There was no difference in the hospital LOS or hospital costs between the palliative and usual care groups. The synthesis of ED-PC is new but achievable with potential benefits to align care with patient goals.

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