Comparing Quality of Dying and Death Perceived by Family Members and Nurses for Patients Dying in US and Dutch ICUs

The role of Advance Directives and Living Wills in Anesthesia Practice

Preoperative review of existing advance directives and a discussion of patient goals should be routinely done to address any potential limitations on resuscitative therapies during perioperative care. Both surgeons and anesthesiologists should be collaboratively involved in these discussions, and all perioperative physicians should receive training in shared decision making and goals of care discussions. These discussions should center around patient preferences for limitations on life-sustaining medical therapy, which should be accurately documented and adhered to during the perioperative period. Patients should be informed that limitations of life-sustaining medical therapy may increase their risk of postoperative mortality.

Factors Associated With Quality-of-Dying-and-Death Classes Among Critically Ill Patients

Importance

Improving end-of-life care in the intensive care unit (ICU) is a priority, but clinically modifiable factors of quality of dying and death (QODD) are seldom identified.

Objectives

To comprehensively identify factors associated with QODD classes of dying ICU patients, emphasizing clinically modifiable factors based on the integrative framework of factors associated with for bereavement outcomes.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This observational cohort study was conducted at medical ICUs of 2 Taiwanese medical centers from January 2018 to March 2020 with follow-up through December 2022. Eligible participants included primary family surrogates responsible for decision making for critically ill ICU patients at high risk of death (Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score >20) but who survived more than 3 days after ICU admission. Data analysis was conducted from July to September 2023.

Main Outcomes and Measures

QODD was measured by the 23-item ICU-QODD questionnaire. Factors associated with patient membership in 4 previously determined QODD classes (high, moderate, poor to uncertain, and worst) were examined using a 3-step approach for latent class modeling with the high QODD class as the reference category.

Results

A total of 309 family surrogates (mean [SD] age, 49.83 [12.55] years; 184 women [59.5%] and 125 men [40.5%]) were included in the study. Of all surrogates, 91 (29.4%) were the patients' spouse and 66 (53.7%) were the patients' adult child. Patient demographics were not associated with QODD class. Two family demographics (age and gender), relationship with the patient (spousal or adult-child), and length of ICU stay were associated with QODD classes. Patients of surrogates perceiving greater social support were less likely to be in the poor to uncertain (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.89; 95% CI, 0.83-0.94) and worst (aOR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.87-0.96) QODD classes. Family meetings were associated with the poor to uncertain QODD class (aOR, 8.61; 95% CI, 2.49-29.74) and worst QODD class (aOR, 7.28; 95% CI, 1.37-38.71). Death with cardiopulmonary resuscitation was associated with the worst QODD class (aOR, 7.51; 95% CI, 1.12-50.25). Family presence at patient death was uniformly negatively associated with the moderate QODD class (aOR, 0.16; 95% CI, 0.05-0.54), poor to uncertain QODD class (aOR, 0.21; 95% CI, 0.05-0.82), and worst QODD class (aOR, 0.08; 95% CI, 0.02-0.38). Higher family satisfaction with ICU care was negatively associated with the poor to uncertain QODD class (aOR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.87-0.98) and worst QODD class (aOR, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.81-0.92).

Conclusions and Relevance

In this cohort study of critically ill patients and their family surrogates, modifiable end-of-life ICU-care characteristics played a more significant role in associations with patient QODD class than did immutable family demographics, preexisting family health conditions, patient demographics, and patient clinical characteristics, thereby illuminating actionable opportunities to improve end-of-life ICU care.

Family Members' Feedback on the "Quality of Death" of Adult Patients Who Died in Intensive Care Units and the Factors Affecting the Death Quality: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Intensive care units (ICUs) are designed for critically ill patients who often experience high mortality rates owing to the severity of their conditions. Although the primary goal is patient recovery, it is crucial to understand the quality of death in the ICU setting. Nevertheless, there is a notable lack of systematic reviews on measured death quality and its associated factors. This study aims to conduct a quantitative synthesis of evidence regarding the quality of death in the ICU and offers a comprehensive overview of the factors influencing this quality, including its relationship with the post-intensive care syndrome-family (PICS-F). A thorough search without any language restrictions across MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Igaku Chuo Zasshi databases identified relevant studies published until September 2023. We aggregated the results regarding the quality of death care for patients who died in the ICU across each measurement tool and calculated the point estimates and 95% confidence intervals. The quantitative synthesis encompassed 19 studies, wherein the Quality of Dying and Death-single item (QODD-1) was reported in 13 instances (Point estimate: 7.0, 95% CI: 6.93-7.06). Patient demographic data, including age and gender, as well as the presence or absence of invasive procedures, such as life support devices and cardiopulmonary resuscitation, along with the management of pain and physical symptoms, were found to be associated with a high quality of death. Only one study reported an association between quality of death and PICS-F scores; however, no significant association was identified. The QODD-1 scale emerged as a frequently referenced and valuable metric for evaluating the quality of death in the ICU, and factors associated with the quality of ICU death were identified. However, research gaps persist, particularly regarding the variations in the quality of ICU deaths based on cultural backgrounds and healthcare systems. This review contributes to a better understanding of the quality of death in the ICU and emphasises the need for comprehensive research in this critical healthcare domain.

Quality of dying and death in intensive care units: family satisfaction

OBJECTIVE

This cohort study identified patterns/classes of surrogates' assessment of their relative's quality of dying and death (QODD) and to evaluate their associations with family satisfaction with intensive care unit (ICU) care.

METHODS

We identified QODD classes through latent class analysis of the frequency component of the QODD questionnaire and examined their differences in summary questions on the QODD and scores of the Family Satisfaction in the ICU questionnaire among 309 bereaved surrogates of ICU decedents.

RESULTS

Four distinct classes (prevalence) were identified: high (41.3%), moderate (20.1%), poor-to-uncertain (21.7%) and worst (16.9%) QODD classes. Characteristics differentiate these QODD classes including physical symptom control, emotional preparedness for death, and amount of life-sustaining treatments (LSTs) received. Patients in the high QODD class had optimal physical symptom control, moderate-to-sufficient emotional preparedness for death and few LSTs received. Patients in the moderate QODD class had adequate physical symptom control, moderate-to-sufficient emotional preparedness for death and the least LSTs received. Patients in the poor-to-uncertain QODD class had inadequate physical symptom control, insufficient-uncertain emotional preparedness for death and some LSTs received. Patients in the worst QODD class had poorest physical symptom control, insufficient-to-moderate emotional preparedness for death and substantial LSTs received. Bereaved surrogates in the worst QODD class scored significantly lower in evaluations of the patient's overall QODD, and satisfaction with ICU care and decision-making process than those in the other classes.

CONCLUSIONS

The identified distinct QODD classes offer potential actionable direction for improving quality of end-of-life ICU care.

Nursing interventions in palliative care in the intensive care unit: A systematic review

CONTEXT

Patients in palliative care are found in different places where care is provided, including the intensive care environment with important role of the nursing staff.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this systematic review was to answer the following question: which nursing interventions are aimed to the palliative care patients who are in the intensive care unit (ICU).

DATA SOURCES

US National Library of Medicine (PUBMED), Virtual Health Library (BVS), SciELO, The Cochrane Library (Cochrane) and Lilacs databases were used.

DATA EXTRACTION

After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria in accordance with the PRISMA method, a total of 36 entries published between 2010 and 2020 were used.

DATA ANALYSIS

The records extracted were analyzed from a qualitative approach, so no statistical analysis was carried out.

RESULTS

The findings demonstrated that the interventions that focus on promoting the patient's autonomy and respect their needs on ICU involves effective communication, promoting shared decision with patient and family, individualize care for each patient including the family on the daily care and decisions, maintaining basic nursing care as hygiene and comfort and encouraging self-care, as well as the involvement of nursing palliative care specialists the care is important. Other interventions included promoting a continuing education program for the nursing staff and other professionals involved in caring for patients in palliative care at ICU.

CONCLUSION

This review highlighted the need for specific nursing interventions aimed at palliative care patients at ICU to promote patient autonomy and the focus on patient needs, always sharing decisions with the patient and family. However, it showed that there is a need for the continuous training of the nursing staff because factors such as the nurses' lack of technical-scientific knowledge and, concomitantly, the absence of a standardized and specific intervention model linked to a bureaucratic system, make it difficult to carry out a specialized care for this type of patient.

Psychometric Properties of the Brazilian Version of the Quality of Dying and Death for Adult Family Members of ICU Patients

Death is a complex, subjective phenomenon that requires an understanding of experiences to be qualified to provide care during the end-of-life process. This study aimed to analyze the psychometric properties of the Portuguese version (Brazil) of the Quality of Dying and Death (QODD) scale on family members of patients who died in adult intensive care units. A methodological study was conducted with 326 family members of patients that died in three ICUs of public hospitals in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. For this study, the QODD 3.2a (25 items and six domains) was administered during the period from December 2020 to March 2022. The analysis was performed using the classic theory of the tests and the goodness of fit of the model was tested using confirmatory factor analysis. We have used Spearman's correlation coefficients between the scores of the overall scale and domains. Cronbach's alpha coefficient and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) were used for the evaluation of internal consistency and temporal stability, respectively. The Horn's parallel analysis indicated two factors that were not confirmed in the exploratory factor analysis. A single factor retained 18 of the initial 25 items and the analysis of the goodness of fit to the unidimensional model resulted in the following: CFI = 0.7545, TLI = 0.690, chi-squared = 767.33, df = 135, RMSEA = 0.121 with 90%CI, and p = 5.04409. The inter-item correlations indicated a predominance of weak correlations among the items of the instrument. The items with the largest number of moderate correlations were questions 13b, 9b, and 10b and a strong correlation was found between questions 15b and 16b. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.8 and the ICC was 0.9. The Quality of Dying and Death-Version 3.2a (intensive therapy) in Brazilian Portuguese has a unidimensional structure and acceptable reliability. However, it did not obtain a good fit to the proposed factorial model.

The Concept of a Good Death from the Perspectives of Nurses Caring for Patients Diagnosed with COVID-19 in Intensive Care Unit

We have witnessed increasing numbers of cases of COVID-19 and associated deaths worldwide. Therefore, the purpose of this descriptive and cross-sectional study was to determine the perception of a good death and the factors contributing to it by nurses caring for patients diagnosed with COVID-19 in the intensive care unit (ICU). It was carried out with nurses caring for patients diagnosed with COVID-19 in the ICU (n = 369). Data were collected using a questionnaire and the Good Death Scale. The mean score of the participants scale was 56.84 ± 7.51. In this study, nurses have seen as important statements that include "ensuring a peaceful death", "being with their loved ones", "meeting a person's spiritual needs", and "having an opportunity to say goodbye" for the good death. The factors contributing to the perception of a good death were gender, marital status, and feeling sad when caring for a dying patient (p < .05).

Protocol for the development and multisite validation of the Quality of Dying and Death-Revised Global Version scale

INTRODUCTION

Evaluating the quality of dying and death is essential to ensure high-quality end-of-life care. The Quality of Dying and Death (QODD) scale is the best-validated measure of the construct, but many items are not relevant to participants, particularly in low-resource settings. The aim of this multisite cross-sectional study is to develop and validate the QODD-Revised Global Version (QODD-RGV), to enhance ease of completion and relevance in higher-resource and lower-resource settings.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

This study will be a two-arm, multisite evaluation of the cultural relevance, reliability and validity of the QODD-RGV across four participating North American hospices and a palliative care site in Malawi, Africa. Bereaved caregivers and healthcare providers of patients who died at a participating North American hospice and bereaved caregivers of patients who died of cancer at the Malawian palliative care site will complete the QODD-RGV and validation measures. Cognitive interviews with subsets of North American and Malawian caregivers will assess the perceived relevance of the scale items. Psychometric evaluations will include internal consistency and convergent and concurrent validity.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The North American arm received approval from the University Health Network Research Ethics Board (21-5143) and the University of North Carolina Institutional Review Board (21-1172). Ethics approval for the Malawi arm is being obtained from the University of North Carolina Institutional Review Board and the Malawian National Health Science Research Committee. Study findings will be disseminated through publication in peer-reviewed journals and conference presentations.

Derivation and performance of an end-of-life practice score aimed at interpreting worldwide treatment-limiting decisions in the critically ill

Background

Limitations of life-sustaining interventions in intensive care units (ICUs) exhibit substantial changes over time, and large, contemporary variation across world regions. We sought to determine whether a weighted end-of-life practice score can explain a large, contemporary, worldwide variation in limitation decisions.

Methods

The 2015–2016 (Ethicus-2) vs. 1999–2000 (Ethicus-1) comparison study was a two-period, prospective observational study assessing the frequency of limitation decisions in 4952 patients from 22 European ICUs. The worldwide Ethicus-2 study was a single-period prospective observational study assessing the frequency of limitation decisions in 12,200 patients from 199 ICUs situated in 8 world regions. Binary end-of-life practice variable data (1 = presence; 0 = absence) were collected post hoc (comparison study, 22/22 ICUs, n = 4592; worldwide study, 186/199 ICUs, n = 11,574) for family meetings, daily deliberation for appropriate level of care, end-of-life discussions during weekly meetings, written triggers for limitations, written ICU end-of-life guidelines and protocols, palliative care and ethics consultations, ICU-staff taking communication or bioethics courses, and national end-of-life guidelines and legislation. Regarding the comparison study, generalized estimating equations (GEE) analysis was used to determine associations between the 12 end-of-life practice variables and treatment limitations. The weighted end-of-life practice score was then calculated using GEE-derived coefficients of the end-of-life practice variables. Subsequently, the weighted end-of-life practice score was validated in GEE analysis using the worldwide study dataset.

Results

In comparison study GEE analyses, end-of-life discussions during weekly meetings [odds ratio (OR) 0.55, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.30–0.99], end-of-life guidelines [OR 0.52, (0.31–0.87)] and protocols [OR 15.08, (3.88–58.59)], palliative care consultations [OR 2.63, (1.23–5.60)] and end-of-life legislation [OR 3.24, 1.60–6.55)] were significantly associated with limitation decisions (all P < 0.05). In worldwide GEE analyses, the weighted end-of-life practice score was significantly associated with limitation decisions [OR 1.12 (1.03–1.22); P = 0.008].

Conclusions

Comparison study-derived, weighted end-of-life practice score partly explained the worldwide study’s variation in treatment limitations. The most important components of the weighted end-of-life practice score were ICU end-of-life protocols, palliative care consultations, and country end-of-life legislation.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13054-022-03971-9.

Translation and Cultural Adaptation into Portuguese of the Quality of Dying and Death Scale for Family Members of Patients in Intensive Care Units

The translation and cultural adaptation of the Quality of Dying and Death in Brazil may provide a reliable and reproducible scale for collecting and analyzing data on the process of dying and death, given the absence of Brazilian studies that have produced or used scales in this topic. The purpose of this study was to perform the translation and cultural adaptation of the Quality of Dying and Death (QODD 3.2a) scale for intensive care patients' relatives into Portuguese (Brazil). This methodological study was carried out in a public university of the São Paulo State University (UNESP) medical school, São Paulo, Brazil, in three stages: translation and back-translation by two native-speaking independent professionals, analysis by a committee of specialists, and a pre-test phase. The final version was created by seven experts after making semantic, idiomatic, and cultural changes to 16 items. The results indicated a satisfactory content validation index (CVI ≥ 0.80). This version was applied on 32 relatives of patients who were hospitalized in a public hospital in the interior of São Paulo. No item was excluded from the instrument. The content and face validity were achieved to a satisfactory standard, in addition to reaching the minimum parameters recommended in the literature. The Portuguese version of QODD 3.2a for relatives of deceased patients in intensive care is appropriate and culturally adapted for use in Brazil.

Family perceptions of quality of end of life in LGBTQ+ individuals: a comparative study

Background:

Members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer community have encountered discrimination and stigmatization related to sexual orientation and/or gender identity both within healthcare establishments and in the larger community. Despite the literature describing inequities in healthcare, very little published research exists on the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer patients and family members in hospice care.

Methods:

A quantitative comparative descriptive design explored the difference in end-of-life experiences between a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer and non-lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer cohort. One hundred and twenty-two family members of individuals who have died while under hospice care in the past 5 years completed the Quality of Dying and Death Version 3.2a Family Member/Friend After-Death Self-Administered Questionnaire.

Results:

Comparison of the experiences of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer cohort (n = 56) and non-LGBTQ cohort (n = 66) yielded varying results, with the LGBTQ cohort experiencing lower quality end of life in some Quality of Dying and Death measures and no statistically significant difference from the non-LGBTQ cohort in others.

Discussion:

The findings from this study in combination with previously published works on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer health support the position that hospice providers must take concrete steps to ensure that professional caregivers and office staff are qualified to meet the needs of this marginalized population.

Change in perception of the quality of death in the intensive care unit by healthcare workers associated with the implementation of the "well-dying law"

Purpose

The importance of dying with dignity in the intensive care unit (ICU) has been emphasized. The South Korean government implemented the “well-dying law” in 2018, which enables patients to refuse futile life-sustaining treatment (LST) after being determined as terminally ill. We aimed to study whether the well-dying law is associated with a significant change in the quality of death in the ICU.

Methods

The Quality of Dying and Death (QODD) questionnaires were prospectively collected from the doctors and nurses of deceased patients of four South Korean medical ICUs after the law was passed (January 2019 to May 2020). Results were compared with those of our previous study, which used the same metric before the law was passed (June 2016 to May 2017). We compared baseline characteristics of the deceased patients, enrolled staff, QODD scores, and staff opinions about withdrawing LST from before to after the law was passed.

Results

After the well-dying law was passed, deceased patients (N = 252) were slightly older (68.6 vs. 66.6, p = 0.03) and fewer patients were admitted to the ICU for post-resuscitation care (10.3% vs. 20%, p = 0.003). The mean total QODD score significantly increased after the law was passed (36.9 vs. 31.3, p = 0.001). The law had a positive independent association with the increased QODD score in a multiple regression analysis.

Conclusion

Our study is the first to show that implementing the well-dying law is associated with quality of death in the ICU, although the quality of death in South Korea remains relatively low and should be further improved.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00134-021-06597-7.

End of life in the critically ill patient: evaluation of experience of end of life by caregivers (EOLE study)

Background

The death rate in intensive care units (ICUs) can reach 20%. More than half occurs after a decision of care withholding/withdrawal. We aimed at describing and evaluating the experience of ICU physicians and nurses involved in the end-of-life (EOL) procedure. Primary objective was the evaluation of the experience of EOL assessed by the CAESAR questionnaire. Secondary objectives were to describe factors associated with a low or high score and to examine the association between Numeric Analogic Scale and quality of EOL.

Methods

Consecutive adult patients deceased in 52 ICUs were included between April and June 2018. Characteristics of patients and caregivers, therapeutics and care involved after withdrawal were recorded. CAESAR score included 15 items, rated from 1 (traumatic experience) to 5 (comforting experience). The sum was rated from 15 to 75 (the highest, the best experience). Numeric Analogic Scale was rated from 0 (worst EOL) to 10 (optimal EOL).

Results

Five hundred and ten patients were included, 403 underwent decision of care withholding/withdrawal, and among them 362 underwent effective care withdrawal. Among the 510 patients, mean CAESAR score was 55/75 (± 6) for nurses and 62/75 (± 5) for physicians (P < 0.001). Mean Numeric Analogic Scale was 8 (± 2) for nurses and 8 (± 2) for physicians (P = 0.06). CAESAR score and Numeric Analogic Scale were significantly but weakly correlated. They were significantly higher for both nurses and physicians if the patient died after a decision of withholding/withdrawal. In multivariable analysis, among the 362 patients with effective care withdrawal, disagreement on the intensity of life support between caregivers, non-invasive ventilation and monitoring and blood tests the day of death were associated with lower score for nurses. For physicians, cardiopulmonary resuscitation the day of death was associated with lower score in multivariable analysis.

Conclusion

Experience of EOL was better in patients with withholding/withdrawal decision as compared to those without. Our results suggest that improvement of nurses’ participation in the end-of-life process, as well as less invasive care, would probably improve the experience of EOL for both nurses and physicians.

Registration: ClinicalTrial.gov: NCT03392857.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13613-021-00944-z.

Validation of the Chinese Version of the Quality of Dying and Death Questionnaire for Family Members of ICU Patients

CONTEXT

The quality of end-of-life care services directly affects the end-of-life quality of life of patients and their families. At present, there are no standard tools in China for assessing the quality of dying and death (QODD) of critical intensive care unit (ICU) patients.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to introduce the Chinese version of the QODD questionnaire for family members of ICU patients, after transcultural adaptation and validation, to provide an effective instrument for assessing the quality of end-of-life care of ICU patients in China, fill the gap in the evaluation of the quality of end-of-life care of critical ICU patients in China, and offer a theoretical basis and practical guidance during purposeful intervention.

METHODS

This study involved the main adult caregivers or principal family members of 149 dying critically ill patients. The original QODD scale was translated using the double forward and backward method. Nine cultural adaptation experts adapted the Chinese version of the QODD scale for completion by family members of ICU patients. Then, we carried out content validity, structural validity, internal consistency, confirmatory factors, and item correlation analysis of the modified scale.

RESULTS

The Chinese version of the QODD for family members of ICU patients was developed after some items were deleted or modified. The content validity index was 0.93, indicating that all items were correlated with the measurement of death quality. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin value was 0.797, suggesting that the correlations between items were high. The Cronbach's α was 0.865, indicating good internal consistency. In confirmatory factor analysis, the fit indices were χ² = 207.327, non-normed fit index = 0.916, root mean square error of approximation = 0.033, and comparative fit index = 0.93, indicating a good fit of the five-factor model of the Chinese version of the QODD questionnaire for family members of ICU patients.

CONCLUSION

The Chinese version of the QODD questionnaire for family members of ICU patients is a reliable and effective instrument for evaluating the quality of death among patients who die in the ICU and can be applied to clinical practice and research.

The Quality of Dying and Death of Advanced Cancer Patients in Palliative Care and Its Association With Place of Death and Quality of Care

The quality of dying and death is currently considered an objective to achieve at the end of life. The aim of this study is to analyze the quality of dying and death of advanced cancer patients in palliative care and its association with place of death and quality of care from the perspective of family caregivers. This is a cross-sectional study. The study sample included 72 family caregivers of advanced cancer patients in palliative care. For the evaluation of the quality of dying and death, the Spanish version of the Quality of Dying and Death Questionnaire was used. Quality of care was evaluated with the Palliative Care Outcome Scale. The mean (SD) total score on the Spanish version of the Quality of Dying and Death Questionnaire was 64.56 (20.97). The quality of dying and death was higher when the patients died at home, 70.45 (19.70), and it was positively correlated with quality of care (r = 0.61). Palliative care contributes to achieving a satisfactory quality of dying and death in Spanish advanced cancer patients. Further studies that evaluate interventions for improving the quality of dying and death in the advanced cancer population are needed.

The Role of Anesthesiologists in Perioperative Limitation of Potentially Life-Sustaining Medical Treatments: A Narrative Review and Perspective

No patient arrives at the hospital to undergo general anesthesia for its own sake. Anesthesiology is a symbiont specialty, with the primary mission of preventing physical and psychological pain, easing anxiety, and shepherding physiologic homeostasis so that other care may safely progress. For most elective surgeries, the patient-anesthesiologist relationship begins shortly before and ends after the immediate perioperative period. While this may tempt anesthesiologists to defer goals of care discussions to our surgical or primary care colleagues, we have both an ethical and a practical imperative to share this responsibility. Since the early 1990s, the American College of Surgeons (ACS), the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), and the Association of Perioperative Registered Nurses (AORN) have mandated a "required reconsideration" of do-not-resuscitate (DNR) orders. Key ethical considerations and guiding principles informing this "required reconsideration" have been extensively discussed in the literature and include respect for patient autonomy, beneficence, and nonmaleficence. In this article, we address how well these principles and guidelines are translated into daily clinical practice and how often anesthesiologists actually discuss goals of care or potential limitations to life-sustaining medical treatments (LSMTs) before administering anesthesia or sedation. Having done so, we review how often providers implement goal-concordant care, that is, care that reflects and adheres to the stated patient wishes. We conclude with describing several key gaps in the literature on goal-concordance of perioperative care for patients with limitations on LSMT and summarize novel strategies and promising efforts described in recent literature to improve goal-concordance of perioperative care.

Factors Associated with Quality of Dying and Death in Korean Intensive Care Units: Perceptions of Nurses

The objective of this study was to investigate the factors affecting the quality of dying and death among terminally ill patients in an intensive care unit in Korea using a cross-sectional, online survey. A total of 300 nurses in the intensive care unit who had cared for a terminally ill patient for at least 48 h prior to death in the past six months were chosen to participate. The person-centered critical care nursing (PCCN) score and quality of dying and death (QODD) had a positive correlation. The QODD score increased when the consultation was conducted between the terminally ill patients and their doctors when CPR was not performed within 48 h of death, and when the PCCN score increased. The quality of death of patients is affected by whether they have sufficiently consulted with healthcare providers regarding their death and how much respect they receive. It is important for nurses to practice and improve patient-centered nursing care in order to ensure a good quality of death for terminally ill patients.

Assessing physicians' and nurses' experience of dying and death in the ICU: development of the CAESAR-P and the CAESAR-N instruments

Background

As an increasing number of deaths occur in the intensive care unit (ICU), studies have sought to describe, understand, and improve end-of-life care in this setting. Most of these studies are centered on the patient’s and/or the relatives’ experience. Our study aimed to develop an instrument designed to assess the experience of physicians and nurses of patients who died in the ICU, using a mixed methodology and validated in a prospective multicenter study.

Methods

Physicians and nurses of patients who died in 41 ICUs completed the job strain and the CAESAR questionnaire within 24 h after the death. The psychometric validation was conducted using two datasets: a learning and a reliability cohort.

Results

Among the 475 patients included in the main cohort, 398 nurse and 417 physician scores were analyzed. The global score was high for both nurses [62/75 (59; 66)] and physicians [64/75 (61; 68)]. Factors associated with higher CAESAR-Nurse scores were absence of conflict with physicians, pain control handled with physicians, death disclosed to the family at the bedside, and invasive care not performed. As assessed by the job strain instrument, low decision control was associated with lower CAESAR score (61 (58; 65) versus 63 (60; 67), p = 0.002).

Factors associated with higher CAESAR-Physician scores were room dedicated to family information, information delivered together by nurse and physician, families systematically informed of the EOL decision, involvement of the nurse during implementation of the EOL decision, and open visitation. They were also higher when a decision to withdraw or withhold treatment was made, no cardiopulmonary resuscitation was performed, and the death was disclosed to the family at the bedside.

Conclusion

We described and validated a new instrument for assessing the experience of physicians and nurses involved in EOL in the ICU. This study shows important areas for improving practices.

Developing and testing a nurse-led intervention to support bereavement in relatives in the intensive care (BRIC study): a protocol of a pre-post intervention study

BACKGROUND

When a patient is approaching death in the intensive care unit (ICU), patients' relatives must make a rapid transition from focusing on their beloved one's recovery to preparation for their unavoidable death. Bereaved relatives may develop complicated grief as a consequence of this burdensome situation; however, little is known about appropriate options in quality care supporting bereaved relatives and the prevalence and predictors of complicated grief in bereaved relatives of deceased ICU patients in the Netherlands. The aim of this study is to develop and implement a multicomponent bereavement support intervention for relatives of deceased ICU patients and to evaluate the effectiveness of this intervention on complicated grief, anxiety, depression and posttraumatic stress in bereaved relatives.

METHODS

The study will use a cross-sectional pre-post design in a 38-bed ICU in a university hospital in the Netherlands. Cohort 1 includes all reported first and second contact persons of patients who died in the ICU in 2018, which will serve as a pre-intervention baseline measurement. Based on existing policies, facilities and evidence-based practices, a nurse-led intervention will be developed and implemented during the study period. This intervention is expected to use 1) communication strategies, 2) materials to make a keepsake, and 3) a nurse-led follow-up service. Cohort 2, including all bereaved relatives in the ICU from October 2019 until March 2020, will serve as a post-intervention follow-up measurement. Both cohorts will be performed in study samples of 200 relatives per group, all participants will be invited to complete questionnaires measuring complicated grief, anxiety, depression and posttraumatic stress. Differences between the baseline and follow-up measurements will be calculated and adjusted using regression analyses. Exploratory subgroup analyses (e.g., gender, ethnicity, risk profiles, relationship with patient, length of stay) and exploratory dose response analyses will be conducted.

DISCUSSION

The newly developed intervention has the potential to improve the bereavement process of the relatives of deceased ICU patients. Therefore, symptoms of grief and mental health problems such as depression, anxiety and posttraumatic stress, might decrease.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Netherlands Trial Register Registered on 27/07/2019 as NL 7875, www.trialregister.nl.

The Concept of a Good Death From the Perspectives of Family Caregivers of Advanced Cancer Patients

This study was conducted to examine the importance of the concept of a good death and the contributing factors from the perspectives of family caregivers of advanced cancer patients. This descriptive and cross-sectional study, conducted with 182 family caregivers, were collected using a questionnaire form and the "Good Death Scale". The number and percentage distribution, multiple linear regression were used evaluation of data. The total score of the Good Death Scale was 62.65 ± 4.60. The factors contributing to the importance of the concept of a good death were determined as the presence of chronic disease; the type of treatment given to the patient; the presence of another family member who was previously diagnosed with cancer; the presence of a family member who has died of cancer and previously caregiving to a terminally ill family member. This study revealed that the concept of a good death is seen as very important.

Factors Associated With Quality of Death in Korean ICUs As Perceived by Medical Staff: A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Survey

OBJECTIVES

Facilitating a high quality of death is an important aspect of comfort care for patients in ICUs. The quality of death in ICUs has been rarely reported in Asian countries. Although Korea is currently in the early stage after the implementation of the "well-dying" law, this seems to have a considerable effect on practice. In this study, we aimed to understand the status of quality of death in Korean ICUs as perceived by medical staff, and to elucidate factors affecting patient quality of death.

DESIGN

A multicenter cross-sectional survey study.

SETTING

Medical ICUs of two tertiary-care teaching hospitals and two secondary-care hospitals.

PATIENTS

Deceased patients from June 2016 to May 2017.

INTERVENTIONS

Relevant medical staff were asked to complete a translated Quality of Dying and Death questionnaire within 48 hours after a patient's death. A higher Quality of Dying and Death score (ranged from 0 to 100) corresponded to a better quality of death.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

A total of 416 completed questionnaires were obtained from 177 medical staff (66 doctors and 111 nurses) of 255 patients. All 20 items of the Quality of Dying and Death received low scores. Quality of death perceived by nurses was better than that perceived by doctors (33.1 ± 18.4 vs 29.7 ± 15.3; p = 0.042). Performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation and using inotropes within 24 hours before death were associated with poorer quality of death, whereas using analgesics was associated with better quality of death.

CONCLUSIONS

The quality of death of patients in Korean ICUs was considerably poorer than reported in other countries. Provision of appropriate comfort care, avoidance of unnecessary life-sustaining care, and permission for more frequent visits from patients' families may correspond to better quality of death in Korean medical ICUs. It is also expected that the new legislation would positively affect the quality of death in Korean ICUs.

Family Outcomes and Perceptions of End-of-Life Care in the Intensive Care Unit: A Mixed-Methods Review

The purpose of this review was to evaluate end-of-life care (EOLC) in the intensive care unit (ICU) from the perspective of family members. Sandelowski's segregated approach from Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Mixed-Methods Systematic Reviews guided this review. A search was conducted in PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, EMBASE, and ProQuest databases and identified 50 papers (33 quantitative, 15 qualitative, and 2 mixed-methodology studies). Five synthesized themes (distressing emotions, shared decision-making, proactive communication, personalized end-of- life care, and valuing of nursing care) were identified. For quantitative results, study methodologies and interventions were heterogeneous and did not always improve family members' perceived quality of care and family members' psychological distress. Configuration of qualitative and quantitative data revealed ICU end-of-life interventions were ineffective because they were not guided by family members' reported needs and perceptions. To fulfill the family members' needs for the patients' EOLC in the ICU, researchers should develop a theory to explicitly explain how the family members experience ICU EOLC and implement a theory-based intervention to improve family psychological outcomes.

Update and recommendations in decision making referred to limitation of advanced life support treatment

The Spanish Society of Intensive and Critical Care Medicine and Coronary Units (SEMICYUC) Bioethics Working Group has developed recommendations on the Limitation of Advanced Life Support Treatment (LLST) decisions, with the aim of reducing variability in clinical practice and of improving end of life care in critically ill patients. The conceptual framework of LLST and futility are explained. Recommendations referred to new forms of LLST encompassing also the adequacy of other treatments and diagnostic methods are developed. In addition, planning of the possible clinical courses following the decision of LLST is commented. The importance of advanced care planning in decision-making is emphasized, and intensive care oriented towards organ donation at end of life in the critically ill patient is described. The integration of palliative care in the critical patient treatment is promoted in end of life stages in the Intensive Care Unit.

A thematic analysis of in-hospital end-of-life care experiences of surviving family members

While end-of-life care (EoLC) priorities for patients dying in the hospital are well-documented, few data characterize needs and experiences of their family members. We conducted thematic analysis of audio recorded interviews of 18 bereaved family members to elucidate these experiences. Participants' memories were organized into two parent themes: those related to satisfaction with the care received and effective communication; those identifying shortcomings in patient care, hospital-family communication, hospital environment, and care burden on the part of family members. These findings provide insight to enhance services to patients and their families at end-of-life and improve postmortem and bereavement services.

The quality of dying and death for patients in intensive care units: a single center pilot study

BACKGROUND

To identify the necessary care for dying patients in intensive care units (ICUs), we designed a retrospective study to evaluate the quality of dying and death (QODD) experienced by the surrogates of patients with medical illness who died in the ICU of a tertiary referral hospital.

METHODS

To achieve our objective, the authors compared the QODD scores as appraised by the relatives of patients who died of cancer under hospice care with those who died in the ICU. For this study, a Korean version of the QODD questionnaire was developed, and individual interviews were also conducted.

RESULTS

Sixteen people from the intensive care group and 23 people from the hospice care group participated in the survey and completed the questionnaire. The family members of patients who died in the ICU declined participation at a high rate (50%), with the primary reason being to avoid bringing back painful memories (14 people, 87.5%). The relatives of the intensive care group obtained an average total score on the 17-item QODD questionnaire, which was significantly lower than that of the relatives of the hospice group (48.7±15.5 vs. 60.3±14.8, P=0.03).

CONCLUSIONS

This work implies that there are unmet needs for the care of dying patients and for the QODD in tertiary hospital ICUs. This result suggests that shared decision making for advance care planning should be encouraged and that education on caring for dying patients should be provided to healthcare professionals to improve the QODD in Korean ICUs.

Evaluation of the Quality of Dying and Death Questionnaire in Kenya

PURPOSE

A culturally appropriate, patient-centered measure of the quality of dying and death is needed to advance palliative care in Africa. We therefore evaluated the Quality of Dying and Death Questionnaire (QODD) in a Kenyan hospice sample and compared item ratings with those from a Canadian advanced-cancer sample.

METHODS

Caregivers of deceased patients from three Kenyan hospices completed the QODD. Their QODD item ratings were compared with those from 602 caregivers of deceased patients with advanced cancer in Ontario, Canada, and were correlated with overall quality of dying and death ratings.

RESULTS

Compared with the Ontario sample, outcomes in the Kenyan sample (N = 127; mean age, 48.21 years; standard deviation, 13.57 years) were worse on 14 QODD concerns and on overall quality of dying and death (P values ≤ .001) but better on five concerns, including interpersonal and religious/spiritual concerns (P values ≤ .005). Overall quality of dying was associated with better patient experiences with Symptoms and Personal Care, interpersonal, and religious/spiritual concerns (P values < .01). Preparation for Death, Treatment Preferences, and Moment of Death items showed the most omitted ratings.

CONCLUSION

The quality of dying and death in Kenya is worse than in a setting with greater PC access, except in interpersonal and religious/spiritual domains. Cultural differences in perceptions of a good death and the acceptability of death-related discussions may affect ratings on the QODD. This measure requires revision and validation for use in African settings, but evidence from such patient-centered assessment tools can advance palliative care in this region.

Comparison of Thai older patients' wishes and nurses' perceptions regarding end-of-life care

BACKGROUND

Achieving a "good death" is a major goal of palliative care. Nurses play a key role in the end-of-life care of older patients. Understanding the perceptions of both older patients and nurses in this area could help improve care during this period.

OBJECTIVES

To examine and compare the preferences and perceptions of older patients and nurses with regard to what they feel constitutes a "good death."

RESEARCH DESIGN

A cross-sectional study.

PARTICIPANTS AND RESEARCH CONTEXT

This study employed a self-report questionnaire that asked about various options for end-of-life care. It was distributed to older patients who attended the outpatient clinic of internal medicine and nurses who worked at two medical schools in Thailand from September 2017 to February 2018. Patients were asked to respond to the questions as if they were terminally ill, and nurses were asked to imagine how older patients would answer the questions.

ETHICAL CONSIDERATION

Approval from Institutional Review Board was obtained.

FINDINGS

A total of 608 patients and 665 nurses responded to the survey. Nurses agreed with concepts of palliative care, but they rated themselves as having poor knowledge. The patient respondents felt that it was most important that they receive the full truth about their illnesses (29.2%). The nurses thought the most important issue was relief of uncomfortable symptoms (25.2%). On seven out of the 13 questions, nurses overestimated the importance of the relevant issue to patients and underestimated the importance on one question (p < 0.05).

DISCUSSION

Both nurses and older patients signified concepts of palliative care, but nurses felt that they lacked adequate knowledge. Nurses estimated that patients would have positive attitudes toward autonomy and the closure of life affairs to a significantly greater degree than the patient respondents.

CONCLUSIONS

We recommend that palliative care education be improved and that steps be taken to allow for more effective nurse-patient communication with regard to the patients' end-of-life wishes.

Measuring the quality of dying and death in advanced cancer: Item characteristics and factor structure of the Quality of Dying and Death Questionnaire

Background:

Ensuring a good death in individuals with advanced disease is a fundamental goal of palliative care. However, the lack of a validated patient-centered measure of quality of dying and death in advanced cancer has limited quality assessments of palliative-care interventions and outcomes.

Aim:

To examine item characteristics and the factor structure of the Quality of Dying and Death Questionnaire in advanced cancer.

Design:

Cross-sectional study with pooled samples.

Setting/participants:

Caregivers of deceased advanced-cancer patients ( N = 602; mean ages = 56.39–62.23 years), pooled from three studies involving urban hospitals, a hospice, and a community care access center in Ontario, Canada, completed the Quality of Dying and Death Questionnaire 8–10 months after patient death.

Results:

Psychosocial and practical item ratings demonstrated negative skewness, suggesting positive perceptions; ratings of symptoms and function were poorer. Of four models evaluated using confirmatory factor analyses, a 20-item, four-factor model, derived through exploratory factor analysis and comprising Symptoms and Functioning, Preparation for Death, Spiritual Activities, and Acceptance of Dying, demonstrated good fit and internally consistent factors (Cronbach’s α = 0.70–0.83). Multiple regression analyses indicated that quality of dying was most strongly associated with Symptoms and Functioning and that quality of death was most strongly associated with Preparation for Death ( p < 0.001).

Conclusion:

A new four-factor model best characterized quality of dying and death in advanced cancer as measured by the Quality of Dying and Death Questionnaire. Future research should examine the value of adding a connectedness factor and evaluate the sensitivity of the scale to detect intervention effects across factors.

Palliative Care Patients’ Quality of Dying and Circumstances of Death—Comparison of Informal Caregivers’ and Health-Care Professionals’ Estimates

Background:

Patient-reported outcomes are usually considered to be the gold standard assessment. However, for the assessment of quality of dying and death, ratings of informal caregivers (ICGs) or health-care professionals (HCPs) must be considered for ethical and methodological reasons. This article aims to present results of ICGs’ and HCPs’ estimates of the questionnaire, quality of dying and death (QoDD) on patients who died in PCUs and to compare the level of agreement of both ratings/raters.

Methods:

The parent validation study to this analysis assessed the ICG and HCP versions of the QoDD. Descriptive statistics are presented for each item in both versions. T tests for the estimation of differences between ICG and HCP were performed. Case-related absolute differences between estimates were analyzed regarding the extent of agreement and deviation.

Results:

Two hundred fifteen matched ICG and HCP ratings were analyzed. The ratings in all 6 QoDD dimensions were high; single items scored low. Mean absolute difference between both ratings was 0.33 (standard deviation [SD]: 3.08; median 0.05) on a 0 to 10 numerical rating scale and ranges between −8.24 (higher rating of ICGs compared to HCPs) and 9.33 (higher rating of HCPs compared to ICGs).

Conclusions:

The findings appear to show a high satisfaction with quality of dying and death as rated by ICGs and HCPs, but we suspect this might be indicative of a methodological challenge, that is, a ceiling effect in both assessments. Single low scoring items may provide important clues for improvement in end-of-life care. Although descriptive data show comparable mean values and standard deviations, the actual congruence of ratings is low. In summary, replacing one rating by another cannot be recommended.