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Deffner T, Hierundar A, Waydhas C, Riessen R, Münch U. [Relatives after a stay on the intensive care unit: a care gap to be closed]. Med Klin Intensivmed Notfmed 2024; 119:285-290. [PMID: 38564001 DOI: 10.1007/s00063-024-01130-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Structures for the care of relatives after a stay on the intensive care unit are present in principle, but no systematic interfaces between the different types of care and the care sectors exists. Therefore, in a first step, the needs of relatives during intensive care treatment should be continuously assessed and addressed as early as possible. Furthermore, proactive provision of information regarding aftercare services is necessary throughout the entire course of hospitalization and rehabilitation, but also in the phase of general practitioner care. The patient's hospital discharge letter with a detailed social history can serve information transfer at the interfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Deffner
- Klinik für Anästhesiologie und Intensivmedizin, Universitätsklinikum Jena, Jena, Deutschland.
| | - Anke Hierundar
- Klinik und Poliklinik für Anästhesiologie, Intensivmedizin und Schmerztherapie, Universitätsmedizin Rostock, Rostock, Deutschland
| | - Christian Waydhas
- Klinik und Poliklinik für Chirurgie, Berufsgenossenschaftliches Universitätsklinikum Bergmannsheil, Bochum, Deutschland
- Medizinische Fakultät, Universität Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Deutschland
| | - Reimer Riessen
- Abteilung für Innere Medizin - Internistische Intensivstation 93, Universitätsklinikum Tübingen, Tübingen, Deutschland
| | - Urs Münch
- Klinik für Allgemein‑, Viszeral- und Minimalinvasive Chirurgie, DRK Kliniken Berlin Westend, Berlin, Deutschland
- Pankreaszentrum, DRK Kliniken Berlin Westend, Berlin, Deutschland
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2
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Naya K, Sakuramoto H, Aikawa G, Ouchi A, Yoshihara S, Ota Y, Okamoto S, Fukushima A, Hirashima H. 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. Cureus 2024; 16:e58344. [PMID: 38756296 PMCID: PMC11098527 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.58344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuaki Naya
- Department of Adult Nursing, Tokyo Healthcare University Wakayama Faculty of Nursing, Wakayama, JPN
| | - Hideaki Sakuramoto
- Department of Critical Care and Disaster Nursing, Japanese Red Cross Kyushu International College of Nursing, Munakata, JPN
| | - Gen Aikawa
- Department of Adult Health Nursing, College of Nursing, Ibaraki Christian University, Hitachi, JPN
| | - Akira Ouchi
- Department of Adult Health Nursing, College of Nursing, Ibaraki Christian University, Hitachi, JPN
| | - Shun Yoshihara
- Department of Critical Care and Disaster Nursing, Japanese Red Cross Kyushu International College of Nursing, Munakata, JPN
| | - Yuma Ota
- Department of Fundamental Nursing, Tokyo Healthcare University Faculty of Healthcare, Shinagawa, JPN
| | - Saiko Okamoto
- Department of Nursing, Hitachi General Hospital, Hitachi, JPN
| | - Ayako Fukushima
- Department of Critical Care and Disaster Nursing, Japanese Red Cross Kyushu International College of Nursing, Munakata, JPN
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3
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Fassas S, King D, Shay M, Schockett E, Yamane D, Hawkins K. Palliative Medicine and End of Life Care Between Races in an Academic Intensive Care Unit. J Intensive Care Med 2024; 39:250-256. [PMID: 37674378 DOI: 10.1177/08850666231200383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
Background: Although palliative medicine (PM) is more commonly being integrated into the intensive care unit (ICU), research on racial disparities in this area is lacking. Our objectives were to (a) identify racial disparities in utilization of PM consultation for patients who received ICU care and (b) determine if there were differences in the use of code status or PM consultation over time based on race. Materials and Methods: Retrospective analysis of 571 patients, 18 years and above, at a tertiary care institution who received ICU care and died during their hospital stay. We analyzed two timeframes, 2008-2009 and 2018-2019. Univariate analysis was utilized to evaluate baseline characteristics. A multivariate logistic regression model and interaction P values were employed to assess for differential use of PM consultation, do not resuscitate (DNR) orders, and comfort care (CC) orders between races in aggregate and for changes over time. Results: There was a notable increase in Black/African-American (AA) (54% to 61%) and Hispanic/Latino (2% to 3%) patients over time in our population. Compared to White patients, we found no differences between PM consultation and CC orders. There was a lower probability of DNR orders for Black/AA (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.569; P = .049; confidence interval [CI]: 0.324-0.997) and other/unknown/multiracial patients (aOR: 0.389; P = .273; CI: 0.169-0.900). Comparing our earlier time period to the later time period, we found an increased usage of PM for all patients. Interaction P values suggest there were no differences between races regarding PM, DNR, and CC orders. Conclusions: PM use has increased over time at our institution. Contrary to the previous literature, there were no differences in the frequency of utilization of PM consultation between races. Further analysis to evaluate the usage of PM in the ICU setting in varying populations and geographic locations is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott Fassas
- George Washington University Hospital, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Daniel King
- George Washington University Hospital, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Molly Shay
- George Washington University Hospital, Washington, DC, USA
| | | | - David Yamane
- George Washington University Hospital, Washington, DC, USA
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4
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Cox CE, Ashana DC, Riley IL, Olsen MK, Casarett D, Haines KL, O’Keefe YA, Al-Hegelan M, Harrison RW, Naglee C, Katz JN, Yang H, Pratt EH, Gu J, Dempsey K, Docherty SL, Johnson KS. Mobile Application-Based Communication Facilitation Platform for Family Members of Critically Ill Patients: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open 2024; 7:e2349666. [PMID: 38175648 PMCID: PMC10767607 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.49666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Importance Unmet and racially disparate palliative care needs are common in intensive care unit (ICU) settings. Objective To test the effect of a primary palliative care intervention vs usual care control both overall and by family member race. Design, Setting, and Participants This cluster randomized clinical trial was conducted at 6 adult medical and surgical ICUs in 2 academic and community hospitals in North Carolina between April 2019 and May 2022 with physician-level randomization and sequential clusters of 2 Black patient-family member dyads and 2 White patient-family member dyads enrolled under each physician. Eligible participants included consecutive patients receiving mechanical ventilation, their family members, and their attending ICU physicians. Data analysis was conducted from June 2022 to May 2023. Intervention A mobile application (ICUconnect) that displayed family-reported needs over time and provided ICU attending physicians with automated timeline-driven communication advice on how to address individual needs. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome was change in the family-reported Needs at the End-of-Life Screening Tool (NEST; range 0-130, with higher scores reflecting greater need) score between study days 1 and 3. Secondary outcomes included family-reported quality of communication and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder at 3 months. Results A total of 111 (51% of those approached) family members (mean [SD] age, 51 [15] years; 96 women [86%]; 15 men [14%]; 47 Black family members [42%]; 64 White family members [58%]) and 111 patients (mean [SD] age, 55 [16] years; 66 male patients [59%]; 45 Black patients [41%]; 65 White patients [59%]; 1 American Indian or Alaska Native patient [1%]) were enrolled under 37 physicians randomized to intervention (19 physicians and 55 patient-family member dyads) or control (18 physicians and 56 patient-family member dyads). Compared with control, there was greater improvement in NEST scores among intervention recipients between baseline and both day 3 (estimated mean difference, -6.6 points; 95% CI, -11.9 to -1.3 points; P = .01) and day 7 (estimated mean difference, -5.4 points; 95% CI, -10.7 to 0.0 points; P = .05). There were no treatment group differences at 3 months in psychological distress symptoms. White family members experienced a greater reduction in NEST scores compared with Black family members at day 3 (estimated mean difference, -12.5 points; 95% CI, -18.9 to -6.1 points; P < .001 vs estimated mean difference, -0.3 points; 95% CI, -9.3 to 8.8 points; P = .96) and day 7 (estimated mean difference, -9.5 points; 95% CI, -16.1 to -3.0 points; P = .005 vs estimated mean difference, -1.4 points; 95% CI, -10.7 to 7.8; P = .76). Conclusions and Relevance In this study of ICU patients and family members, a primary palliative care intervention using a mobile application reduced unmet palliative care needs compared with usual care without an effect on psychological distress symptoms at 3 months; there was a greater intervention effect among White family members compared with Black family members. These findings suggest that a mobile application-based intervention is a promising primary palliative care intervention for ICU clinicians that directly addresses the limited supply of palliative care specialists. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03506438.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher E. Cox
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
- Program to Support People and Enhance Recovery (ProSPER), Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Deepshikha C. Ashana
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
- Program to Support People and Enhance Recovery (ProSPER), Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Isaretta L. Riley
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Maren K. Olsen
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
- Durham Center of Innovation to Accelerate Discovery and Practice Transformation, Durham Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Durham, North Carolina
| | - David Casarett
- Department of Medicine, Section of Palliative Care and Hospice Medicine, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Krista L. Haines
- Department of Surgery, Division of Trauma and Critical Care and Acute Care Surgery, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | | | - Mashael Al-Hegelan
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Robert W. Harrison
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Colleen Naglee
- Department of Anesthesiology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Jason N. Katz
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Hongqiu Yang
- Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Elias H. Pratt
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
- Program to Support People and Enhance Recovery (ProSPER), Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Jessie Gu
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
- Program to Support People and Enhance Recovery (ProSPER), Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Katelyn Dempsey
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
- Program to Support People and Enhance Recovery (ProSPER), Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | | | - Kimberly S. Johnson
- Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatrics, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
- Geriatrics Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Durham, North Carolina
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5
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Suntai Z, Noh H, Lee L, Bell JG, Lippe MP, Lee HY. Quality of Care at the End of Life: Applying the Intersection of Race and Gender. THE GERONTOLOGIST 2024; 64:gnad012. [PMID: 36786381 DOI: 10.1093/geront/gnad012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Research on racial and gender disparities in end-of-life care quality has burgeoned over the past few decades, but few studies have incorporated the theory of intersectionality, which posits that membership in 2 or more vulnerable groups may result in increased hardships across the life span. As such, this study aimed to examine the intersectional effect of race and gender on the quality of care received at the end of life among older adults. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Data were derived from the combined Round 3 to Round 10 of the National Health and Aging Trends Study. For multivariate analyses, 2 logistic regression models were run; Model 1 included the main effects of race and gender and Model 2 included an interaction term for race and gender. RESULTS Results revealed that White men were the most likely to have excellent or good care at the end of life, followed by White women, Black men, and Black women, who were the least likely to have excellent or good care at the end of life. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS These results point to a significant disadvantage for Black women, who had worse end-of-life care quality than their gender and racial peers. Practice interventions may include cultural humility training and a cultural match between patients and providers. From a policy standpoint, a universal health insurance plan would reduce the gap in end-of-life service access and quality for Black women, who are less likely to have supplemental health care coverage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zainab Suntai
- Diana R. Garland School of Social Work, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, USA
| | - Hyunjin Noh
- School of Social Work, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
| | - Lewis Lee
- School of Social Work, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
| | - John Gregory Bell
- College of Community Health Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
| | - Megan P Lippe
- The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Hee Yun Lee
- School of Social Work, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
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6
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Mergler BD, Toles AO, Alexander A, Mosquera DC, Lane-Fall MB, Ejiogu NI. Racial and Ethnic Patient Care Disparities in Anesthesiology: History, Current State, and a Way Forward. Anesth Analg 2023:00000539-990000000-00689. [PMID: 38153872 DOI: 10.1213/ane.0000000000006716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2023]
Abstract
Disparities in patient care and outcomes are well-documented in medicine but have received comparatively less attention in anesthesiology. Those disparities linked to racial and ethnic identity are pervasive, with compelling evidence in operative anesthesiology, obstetric anesthesiology, pain medicine, and critical care. This narrative review presents an overview of disparities in perioperative patient care that is grounded in historical context followed by potential solutions for mitigating disparities and inequities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blake D Mergler
- From the Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Allyn O Toles
- From the Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Anthony Alexander
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Diana C Mosquera
- Department of Anesthesiology, Albany Medical Center, Albany, New York
| | - Meghan B Lane-Fall
- From the Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Nwadiogo I Ejiogu
- From the Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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7
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Heitner R, Rogers M, Chambers B, Pinotti R, Silvers A, Meier DE, Bowman B, Johnson KS. The Experience of Black Patients With Serious Illness in the United States: A Scoping Review. J Pain Symptom Manage 2023; 66:e501-e511. [PMID: 37442530 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2023.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Revised: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023]
Abstract
CONTEXT Black patients experience health disparities in access and quality of care. OBJECTIVE To identify and characterize the literature on the experiences of Black patients with serious illness across multiple domains - physical, spiritual, emotional, cultural, and healthcare utilization. METHODS We conducted a scoping review of US literature from the last ten years using the PRISMA-ScR framework. PubMed was used to conduct a comprehensive search, followed by recursive citation searches in Scopus. Two reviewers screened the resulting citations to determine eligibility for inclusion and extracted data, including study methods and sample populations. The included articles were categorized by topic and then further organized using the Social-Ecological Model. RESULTS From an initial review of 433 articles, a final sample of 160 were included in the scoping review. The majority of articles used quantitative research methods and were published in the last four years. Articles were categorized into 20 topics, ranging from Access to Hospice and Utilization (42 articles) to Community Outreach and Services (three articles). Three-quarters (76.3%) of the included studies provided evidence that racial disparities exist in serious illness care, while less than one-quarter examined causes of disparities. The most common Model levels were the Health Care System (102 articles) and Individual (71 articles) levels. CONCLUSION More articles focused on establishing evidence of disparities between Black and White patients than on understanding their root causes. Further investigation is warranted to understand how factors at the patient, provider, health system, and society levels interact to remediate disparities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachael Heitner
- Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine (R.H., M.R., B.C., A.S., D.E.M., B.B.), Center to Advance Palliative Care, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA.
| | - Maggie Rogers
- Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine (R.H., M.R., B.C., A.S., D.E.M., B.B.), Center to Advance Palliative Care, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Brittany Chambers
- Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine (R.H., M.R., B.C., A.S., D.E.M., B.B.), Center to Advance Palliative Care, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Rachel Pinotti
- Gustave L. and Janet W. Levy Library (R.P.), Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Allison Silvers
- Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine (R.H., M.R., B.C., A.S., D.E.M., B.B.), Center to Advance Palliative Care, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Diane E Meier
- Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine (R.H., M.R., B.C., A.S., D.E.M., B.B.), Center to Advance Palliative Care, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Brynn Bowman
- Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine (R.H., M.R., B.C., A.S., D.E.M., B.B.), Center to Advance Palliative Care, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Kimberly S Johnson
- Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatrics (K.S.J.), Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA, Geriatrics Research Education and Clinical Center, Veteran Affairs Health System, Durham, North Carolina, USA
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Kutney-Lee A, Rodriguez KL, Ersek M, Carthon JMB. "They Did Not Know How to Talk to Us and It Seems That They Didn't Care:" Narratives from Bereaved Family Members of Black Veterans. J Racial Ethn Health Disparities 2023:10.1007/s40615-023-01790-4. [PMID: 37733285 DOI: 10.1007/s40615-023-01790-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
Racial disparities in the quality of health care services, including end of life (EOL) care, are well-documented. While several explanations for these inequities have been proposed, few studies have examined the underlying mechanisms. This paper presents the results of the qualitative phase of a concurrent mixed-methods study (QUANT + QUAL) that sought to identify explanations for observed racial differences in quality of EOL care ratings using the Department of Veterans Affairs Bereaved Family Survey (BFS). The objective of the qualitative phase of the study was to understand the specific experiences that contributed to an unfavorable overall EOL quality rating on the BFS among family members of Black Veterans. We used inductive thematic analysis to code BFS open-ended items associated with 165 Black Veterans whose family member rated the overall quality of care received by the Veteran in the last month of life as "poor" or "fair." Four major themes emerged from the BFS narratives, including (1) Positive Aspects of Care, (2) Unmet Care Needs, (3) Lack of Empathy, Dignity, and Respect, and (4) Poor Communication. Additionally, some family members offered recommendations for care improvements. Our discussion includes integrated results from both our qualitative and previously reported quantitative findings that may serve as a foundation for future evidence-based interventions to improve the equitable delivery of high-quality EOL care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann Kutney-Lee
- Veteran Experience Center, Corporal Michael J. Crescenz Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion, Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research, University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Keri L Rodriguez
- Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Mary Ersek
- Veteran Experience Center, Corporal Michael J. Crescenz Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion, Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - J Margo Brooks Carthon
- Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research, University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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9
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Coats H, Doyon K, Isaacson MJ, Tay D, Rosa WE, Mayahara M, Kates J, Frechman E, Wright PM, Boyden JY, Broden EG, Hinds PS, James R, Keller S, Thrane SE, Mooney-Doyle K, Sullivan SS, Xu J, Tanner J, Natal M. The 2023-2026 Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association Research Agenda. J Hosp Palliat Nurs 2023; 25:55-74. [PMID: 36843048 DOI: 10.1097/njh.0000000000000935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/28/2023]
Abstract
The Hospice and Palliative Nursing Association established the triannual research agenda to ( a ) provide focus for researchers to conduct meaningful scientific and quality improvement initiatives and inform evidence-based practice, ( b ) guide organizational funding, and ( c ) illustrate to other stakeholders the importance of nursing research foci. HPNA Research Agendas are developed to give direction for future research to continue advancing expert care in serious illness and ensure equitable delivery of hospice and palliative care.
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10
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Bowers SP, Chin M, O’Riordan M, Carduff E. The end of life experiences of people living with socio-economic deprivation in the developed world: an integrative review. BMC Palliat Care 2022; 21:193. [PMCID: PMC9636719 DOI: 10.1186/s12904-022-01080-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Those experiencing socioeconomic deprivation have poorer quality of health throughout their life course which can result in poorer quality of death – with decreased access to palliative care services, greater use of acute care, and reduced access to preferred place of care compared with patients from less deprived populations. Aim To summarise the current global evidence from developed countries on end-of-life experience for those living with socio-economic deprivation. Design Integrative review in accordance with PRISMA. A thorough search of major databases from 2010–2020, using clear definitions of end-of-life care and well-established proxy indicators of socio-economic deprivation. Empirical research describing experience of adult patients in the last year of life care were included. Results Forty studies were included from a total of 3508 after screening and selection. These were deemed to be of high quality; from a wide range of countries with varying healthcare systems; and encompassed all palliative care settings for patients with malignant and non-malignant diagnoses. Three global themes were identified: 1) multi-dimensional symptom burden, 2) preferences and planning and 3) health and social care interactions at the end of life. Conclusions Current models of healthcare services are not meeting the needs of those experiencing socioeconomic deprivation at the end-of-life. Further work is needed to understand the disparity in care, particularly around ensuring patients voices are heard and can influence service development and delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah P Bowers
- grid.416266.10000 0000 9009 9462NHS Tayside and University of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, DD1 9SY UK
| | - Ming Chin
- grid.417145.20000 0004 0624 9990University Hospital Wishaw, 50 Netherton Street, Lanarkshire, ML2 0DP UK
| | - Maire O’Riordan
- grid.470550.30000 0004 0641 2540Marie Curie Hospice, 133 Balornock Road, Glasgow, G21 3US UK
| | - Emma Carduff
- grid.470550.30000 0004 0641 2540Marie Curie Hospice, 133 Balornock Road, Glasgow, G21 3US UK
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11
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Chuang E, Yu S, Georgia A, Nymeyer J, Williams J. A Decade of Studying Drivers of Disparities in End-of-Life Care for Black Americans: Using the NIMHD Framework for Health Disparities Research to Map the Path Ahead. J Pain Symptom Manage 2022; 64:e43-e52. [PMID: 35381316 PMCID: PMC9189009 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2022.03.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Revised: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The purpose of this paper is to provide a review of the existing literature on racial disparities in quality of palliative and end-of-life care and to demonstrate gaps in the exploration of underlying mechanisms that produce these disparities. BACKGROUND Countless studies over several decades have revealed that our healthcare system in the United States consistently produces poorer quality end-of-life care for Black compared with White patients. Effective interventions to reduce these disparities are sparse and hindered by a limited understanding of the root causes of these disparities. METHODS We searched PubMed, CINAHL and PsychInfo for research manuscripts that tested hypotheses about causal mechanisms for disparities in end-of-life care for Black patients. These studies were categorized by domains outlined in the National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) framework, which are biological, behavioral, physical/built environment, sociocultural and health care systems domains. Within these domains, studies were further categorized as focusing on the individual, interpersonal, community or societal level of influence. RESULTS The majority of the studies focused on the Healthcare System and Sociocultural domains. Within the Health Care System domain, studies were evenly distributed among the individual, interpersonal, and community level of influence, but less attention was paid to the societal level of influence. In the Sociocultural domain, most studies focused on the individual level of influence. Those focusing on the individual level of influence tended to be of poorer quality. CONCLUSIONS The sociocultural environment, physical/built environment, behavioral and biological domains remain understudied areas of potential causal mechanisms for racial disparities in end-of-life care. In the Healthcare System domain, social influences including healthcare policy and law are understudied. In the sociocultural domain, the majority of the studies still focused on the individual level of influence, missing key areas of research in interpersonal discrimination and local and societal structural discrimination. Studies that focus on individual factors should be better screened to ensure that they are of high quality and avoid stigmatizing Black communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Chuang
- Department of Family and Social Medicine (E.C.), Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA.
| | - Sandra Yu
- Columbia Mailman School of Public Health (S.Y.), New York, NY, USA
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12
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Marcewicz L, Kunihiro SK, Curseen KA, Johnson K, Kavalieratos D. Application of Critical Race Theory in Palliative Care Research: A Scoping Review. J Pain Symptom Manage 2022; 63:e667-e684. [PMID: 35231591 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2022.02.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Revised: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
CONTEXT Structural racism negatively impacts individuals and populations. In the medical literature, including that of palliative care, structural racism's influence on interracial differences in outcomes remains poorly examined. Examining the contribution of structural racism to outcomes is paramount to promoting equity. OBJECTIVES We examined portrayals of race and racial differences in outcomes in the palliative care literature and created a framework using critical race theory (CRT) to aid in this examination. METHODS We reviewed the CRT literature and iteratively developed a rubric to examine when and how differences between races are described. Research articles published in The Journal of Pain and Symptom Management presenting empiric data specifically including findings about racial differences were examined independently by three reviewers using the rubric. RESULTS Fifty-seven articles met inclusion criteria. Articles that specifically described racial differences were common in the topic areas of quality (75% of articles), hospice (53%), palliative care services (40%) and spirituality/religion (40%). The top three reasons posited for racial differences were patient preference (26%), physician bias (23%), and cultural barriers (21%). Using the CRT rubric we found that 65% of articles posited that a racial difference was something that needed to be rectified, while articles rarely provided narrative (5%) or other data on perspectives of people of color (11%) to explain assumptions about differences. CONCLUSION Palliative care research frequently highlights racial differences in outcomes. Articles that examine racial differences often assume that differences need to be fixed but posit reasons for differences without the narratives of those most affected by them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lawson Marcewicz
- Division of Palliative Medicine (L.M., S.K.K., K.A.C., D.K.), Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta VA Health Care System (L.M.), Decatur, Georgia, USA.
| | - Susan K Kunihiro
- Division of Palliative Medicine (L.M., S.K.K., K.A.C., D.K.), Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Kimberly A Curseen
- Division of Palliative Medicine (L.M., S.K.K., K.A.C., D.K.), Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Khaliah Johnson
- Division of Pediatric Palliative Medicine (K.J.), Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Dio Kavalieratos
- Division of Palliative Medicine (L.M., S.K.K., K.A.C., D.K.), Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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13
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Meng C, Trinh L, Xu N, Enouen J, Liu Y. Interpretability and fairness evaluation of deep learning models on MIMIC-IV dataset. Sci Rep 2022; 12:7166. [PMID: 35504931 PMCID: PMC9065125 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-11012-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The recent release of large-scale healthcare datasets has greatly propelled the research of data-driven deep learning models for healthcare applications. However, due to the nature of such deep black-boxed models, concerns about interpretability, fairness, and biases in healthcare scenarios where human lives are at stake call for a careful and thorough examination of both datasets and models. In this work, we focus on MIMIC-IV (Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care, version IV), the largest publicly available healthcare dataset, and conduct comprehensive analyses of interpretability as well as dataset representation bias and prediction fairness of deep learning models for in-hospital mortality prediction. First, we analyze the interpretability of deep learning mortality prediction models and observe that (1) the best-performing interpretability method successfully identifies critical features for mortality prediction on various prediction models as well as recognizing new important features that domain knowledge does not consider; (2) prediction models rely on demographic features, raising concerns in fairness. Therefore, we then evaluate the fairness of models and do observe the unfairness: (1) there exists disparate treatment in prescribing mechanical ventilation among patient groups across ethnicity, gender and age; (2) models often rely on racial attributes unequally across subgroups to generate their predictions. We further draw concrete connections between interpretability methods and fairness metrics by showing how feature importance from interpretability methods can be beneficial in quantifying potential disparities in mortality predictors. Our analysis demonstrates that the prediction performance is not the only factor to consider when evaluating models for healthcare applications, since high prediction performance might be the result of unfair utilization of demographic features. Our findings suggest that future research in AI models for healthcare applications can benefit from utilizing the analysis workflow of interpretability and fairness as well as verifying if models achieve superior performance at the cost of introducing bias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuizheng Meng
- Department of Computer Science, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Loc Trinh
- Department of Computer Science, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Nan Xu
- Department of Computer Science, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - James Enouen
- Department of Computer Science, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Yan Liu
- Department of Computer Science, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA.
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14
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Zametkin E, Williams E, Feingold-Link M, Jiang L, Martin E, Erqou S, Gravenstein S, Wice M, Wu WC, Rudolph JL. Racial Differences in Burdensome Transitions in Heart Failure Patients with Palliative Care: A Propensity-Matched Analysis. J Palliat Med 2022; 25:1122-1126. [PMID: 35275739 DOI: 10.1089/jpm.2021.0317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Examining racial disparities in the treatment of heart failure (HF) patients and the effects of palliative care (PC) consultation is important to developing culturally competent clinical behaviors. Objective: To compare burdensome transitions for Black and White Veterans hospitalized with HF after PC consultation. Participants: This retrospective study evaluated Veterans admitted for HF to Veterans Administration hospitals who received PC consultation from October 2010 through August 2017. Methods: We propensity-matched Black to White Veterans using demographic, comorbidity, clinical, hospital, and survival time data. Results: Propensity matching of our cohort (n = 5638) yielded 796 Black and White Veterans (total n = 1592) who were well-matched on observed variables (standard mean difference <0.15 for all variables). Matched Black Veterans had more burdensome transitions than White Veterans (n = 218, 27.4% vs. n = 174, 21.9%; p = 0.011) over the six-month follow-up period. Conclusions: This propensity-matched cohort found racial differences in burdensome transitions among admitted HF patients after PC consultation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Zametkin
- Department of Medicine, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Edelva Williams
- Department of Medicine, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Mara Feingold-Link
- Department of Medicine, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Lan Jiang
- Center of Innovation in Long Term Services and Supports, Providence Veteran Affairs Medical Center, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Edward Martin
- Department of Medicine, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Sebhat Erqou
- Department of Medicine, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
- Center of Innovation in Long Term Services and Supports, Providence Veteran Affairs Medical Center, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Stefan Gravenstein
- Department of Medicine, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Mitchell Wice
- Department of Medicine, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
- Center of Innovation in Long Term Services and Supports, Providence Veteran Affairs Medical Center, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Wen-Chih Wu
- Department of Medicine, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
- Center of Innovation in Long Term Services and Supports, Providence Veteran Affairs Medical Center, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - James L Rudolph
- Department of Medicine, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
- Center of Innovation in Long Term Services and Supports, Providence Veteran Affairs Medical Center, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
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15
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Kutney-Lee A, Bellamy SL, Ersek M, Medvedeva EL, Smith D, Thorpe JM, Brooks Carthon JM. Care processes and racial/ethnic differences in family reports of end-of-life care among Veterans: A mediation analysis. J Am Geriatr Soc 2022; 70:1095-1105. [PMID: 34985133 DOI: 10.1111/jgs.17632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Revised: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bereaved family members of racial/ethnic minority Veterans are less likely than families of White Veterans to provide favorable overall ratings of end-of-life (EOL) care quality; however, the underlying mechanisms for these differences have not been explored. The objective of this study was to examine whether a set of EOL care process measures mediated the association between Veteran race/ethnicity and bereaved families' overall rating of the quality of EOL care in VA medical centers (VAMCs). METHODS A retrospective, cross-sectional analysis of linked Bereaved Family Survey (BFS), administrative and clinical data was conducted. The sample included 17,911 Veterans (mean age: 73.7; SD: 11.6) who died on an acute or intensive care unit across 121 VAMCs between October 2010 and September 2015. Mediation analyses were used to assess whether five care processes (potentially burdensome transitions, high-intensity EOL treatment, and the BFS factors of Care and Communication, Emotional and Spiritual Support, and Death Benefits) significantly affected the association between Veteran race/ethnicity and a poor/fair BFS overall rating. RESULTS Potentially burdensome transitions, high-intensity EOL treatment, and the three BFS factors of Care and Communication, Emotional and Spiritual Support, and Death Benefits did not substantially mediate the relationship between Veteran race/ethnicity and poor/fair overall ratings of quality of EOL care by bereaved family members. CONCLUSIONS The reasons underlying poorer ratings of quality of EOL care among bereaved family members of racial/ethnic minority Veterans remain largely unexplained. More research on identifying potential mechanisms, including experiences of racism, and the unique EOL care needs of racial and ethnic minority Veterans and their families is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann Kutney-Lee
- Veteran Experience Center, Corporal Michael J. Crescenz Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion, Corporal Michael J. Crescenz Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Scarlett L Bellamy
- Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion, Corporal Michael J. Crescenz Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Departments of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Mary Ersek
- Veteran Experience Center, Corporal Michael J. Crescenz Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion, Corporal Michael J. Crescenz Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Elina L Medvedeva
- Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion, Corporal Michael J. Crescenz Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Dawn Smith
- Veteran Experience Center, Corporal Michael J. Crescenz Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Joshua M Thorpe
- Veteran Experience Center, Corporal Michael J. Crescenz Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.,School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - J Margo Brooks Carthon
- Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion, Corporal Michael J. Crescenz Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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Abstract
OBJECTIVES Racial disparities in the United States healthcare system are well described across a variety of clinical settings. The ICU is a clinical environment with a higher acuity and mortality rate, potentially compounding the impact of disparities on patients. We sought to systematically analyze the literature to assess the prevalence of racial disparities in the ICU. DATA SOURCES We conducted a comprehensive search of PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Library. STUDY SELECTION We identified articles that evaluated racial differences on outcomes among ICU patients in the United States. Two authors independently screened and selected articles for inclusion. DATA EXTRACTION We dual-extracted study characteristics and outcomes that assessed for disparities in care (e.g., in-hospital mortality, ICU length of stay). Studies were assessed for bias using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. DATA SYNTHESIS Of 1,325 articles screened, 25 articles were included (n = 751,796 patients). Studies demonstrated race-based differences in outcomes, including higher mortality rates for Black patients when compared with White patients. However, when controlling for confounding variables, such as severity of illness and hospital type, mortality differences based on race were no longer observed. Additionally, results revealed that Black patients experienced greater financial impacts during an ICU admission, were less likely to receive early tracheostomy, and were less likely to receive timely antibiotics than White patients. Many studies also observed differences in patients' end-of-life care, including lower rates on the quality of dying, less advanced care planning, and higher intensity of interventions at the end of life for Black patients. CONCLUSIONS This systematic review found significant differences in the care and outcomes among ICU patients of different races. Mortality differences were largely explained by accompanying demographic and patient factors, highlighting the effect of structural inequalities on racial differences in mortality in the ICU. This systematic review provides evidence that structural inequalities in care persist in the ICU, which contribute to racial disparities in care. Future research should evaluate interventions to address inequality in the ICU.
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17
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Nayfeh A, Yarnell CJ, Dale C, Conn LG, Hales B, Gupta TD, Chakraborty A, Pinto R, Taggar R, Fowler R. Evaluating satisfaction with the quality and provision of end-of-life care for patients from diverse ethnocultural backgrounds. BMC Palliat Care 2021; 20:145. [PMID: 34535122 PMCID: PMC8449427 DOI: 10.1186/s12904-021-00841-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Recently immigrated and ethnic minority patients in Ontario, Canada are more likely to receive aggressive life-prolonging treatment at the end of life in comparison to other patients. To explore this finding further, this survey-based observational study aimed to evaluate satisfaction with the quality of end-of-life care for patients from diverse ethnocultural backgrounds. Methods The End-of-Life Satisfaction Survey was used to measure satisfaction with the quality of inpatient end-of-life care from the perspective of next-of-kin of recently deceased patients at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto, Ontario (between March 2012 to May 2019). The primary outcome was the global rating of satisfaction. Associations with patient ethnicity, patient religion, level of religiosity/spirituality, language/communication barriers, and location of death were assessed using univariable and multivariable modified Poisson regression. Secondary outcomes included differences in satisfaction and rates of dying in intensive care units (ICU) among patient population subgroups, and identification of high priority areas for quality-of-care improvement. Results There were 1,543 respondents. Patient ethnicities included Caucasian (68.2%), Mediterranean (10.5%), East Asian (7.6%), South Asian (3.5%), Southeast Asian (2.1%) and Middle Eastern (2.0%); religious affiliations included Christianity (66.6%), Judaism (12.3%) and Islam (2.1%), among others. Location of death was most commonly in ICU (38.4%), hospital wards (37.0%) or long-term care (20.0%). The mean(SD) rating of satisfaction score was 8.30(2.09) of 10. After adjusting for other covariates, satisfaction with quality of end-of-life care was higher among patients dying in ICU versus other locations (relative risk [RR] 1.51, 95%CI 1.05-2.19, p=0.028), lower among those who experienced language/communication barriers (RR 0.49 95%CI 0.23-1.06, p=0.069), and lower for Muslim patients versus other religious affiliations (RR 0.46, 95%CI 0.21-1.02, p=0.056). Survey items identified as highest priority areas for quality-of-care improvement included communication and information giving; illness management; and healthcare provider characteristics such as emotional support, doctor availability and time spent with patient/family. Conclusion Satisfaction with quality-of-care at the end of life was higher among patients dying in ICU and lower among Muslim patients or when there were communication barriers between families and healthcare providers. These findings highlight the importance of measuring and improving end-of-life care across the ethnocultural spectrum. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12904-021-00841-z.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayah Nayfeh
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, 155 College Street, Room 500, Toronto, Ontario, M5T 3M7, Canada.
| | - Christopher J Yarnell
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, 155 College Street, Room 500, Toronto, Ontario, M5T 3M7, Canada.,Interdepartmental Division of Critical Care Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Sinai, Health Systems, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Craig Dale
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Lesley Gotlib Conn
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, 155 College Street, Room 500, Toronto, Ontario, M5T 3M7, Canada.,Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | | | | | | | - Ru Taggar
- Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Robert Fowler
- Interdepartmental Division of Critical Care Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada.,H. Barrie Fairley Professorship of Critical Care at the University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
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18
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Jones T, Luth EA, Lin SY, Brody AA. Advance Care Planning, Palliative Care, and End-of-life Care Interventions for Racial and Ethnic Underrepresented Groups: A Systematic Review. J Pain Symptom Manage 2021; 62:e248-e260. [PMID: 33984460 PMCID: PMC8419069 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2021.04.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Revised: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
CONTEXT Persons from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups experience disparities in access to and quality of palliative and end-of-life care. OBJECTIVES To summarize and evaluate existing palliative and end-of-life care interventions that aim to improve outcomes for racial and ethnic underrepresented populations in the United States. METHODS We conducted a systematic review of the literature in the English language from four databases through January 2020. Peer-reviewed studies that implemented interventions on palliative care, advance care planning, or end-of-life care were considered eligible. Data were extracted from 16 articles using pre-specified inclusion and exclusion criteria. Quality was appraised using the modified Downs and Black tool for assessing risk of bias in quantitative studies. RESULTS Five studies were randomized controlled trials, and the remainder were quasi-experiments. Six studies targeted Latino/Hispanic Americans, five African Americans, and five, Asian or Pacific Islander Americans. The two randomized control trials reviewed and rated "very high" quality, found educational interventions to have significant positive effects on advance care planning and advance directive completion and engagement for underrepresented racial or ethnic groups. CONCLUSION The effectiveness of advance care planning, end-of-life, and palliative care interventions in improving outcomes for underrepresented racial and ethnic populations remains uncertain. Randomized controlled trials and educational interventions indicate that interventions targeting underrepresented groups can have significant and positive effects on advance directives and/or advance care planning-related outcomes. More high-quality intervention studies that address racial and ethnic health disparities in palliative care are needed, particularly those that address systemic racism and other complex multilevel factors that influence disparities in health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tessa Jones
- New York University, New York, New York, USA.
| | | | - Shih-Yin Lin
- NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing, New York, New York, USA
| | - Abraham A Brody
- Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing, NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing, New York, USA
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19
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Cox CE, Riley IL, Ashana DC, Haines K, Olsen MK, Gu J, Pratt EH, Al-Hegelan M, Harrison RW, Naglee C, Frear A, Yang H, Johnson KS, Docherty SL. Improving racial disparities in unmet palliative care needs among intensive care unit family members with a needs-targeted app intervention: The ICUconnect randomized clinical trial. Contemp Clin Trials 2021; 103:106319. [PMID: 33592310 PMCID: PMC8330133 DOI: 10.1016/j.cct.2021.106319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Revised: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The technologies used to treat the millions who receive care in intensive care unit (ICUs) each year have steadily advanced. However, the quality of ICU-based communication has remained suboptimal, particularly concerning for Black patients and their family members. Therefore we developed a mobile app intervention for ICU clinicians and family members called ICUconnect that assists with delivering need-based care. OBJECTIVE To describe the methods and early experiences of a clustered randomized clinical trial (RCT) being conducted to compare ICUconnect vs. usual care. METHODS AND ANALYSIS The goal of this two-arm, parallel group clustered RCT is to determine the clinical impact of the ICUconnect intervention in improving outcomes overall and for each racial subgroup on reducing racial disparities in core palliative care outcomes over a 3-month follow up period. ICU attending physicians are randomized to either ICUconnect or usual care, with outcomes obtained from family members of ICU patients. The primary outcome is change in unmet palliative care needs measured by the NEST instrument between baseline and 3 days post-randomization. Secondary outcomes include goal concordance of care and interpersonal processes of care at 3 days post-randomization; length of stay; as well as symptoms of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder at 3 months post-randomization. We will use hierarchical linear models to compare outcomes between the ICUconnect and usual care arms within all participants and assess for differential intervention effects in Blacks and Whites by adding a patient-race interaction term. We hypothesize that both compared to usual care as well as among Blacks compared to Whites, ICUconnect will reduce unmet palliative care needs, psychological distress and healthcare resource utilization while improving goal concordance and interpersonal processes of care. In this manuscript, we also describe steps taken to adapt the ICUconnect intervention to the COVID-19 pandemic healthcare setting. ENROLLMENT STATUS A total of 36 (90%) of 40 ICU physicians have been randomized and 83 (52%) of 160 patient-family dyads have been enrolled to date. Enrollment will continue until the end of 2021.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher E Cox
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine and the Program to Support People and Enhance Recovery (ProSPER), Duke University, Durham, NC, United States of America.
| | - Isaretta L Riley
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine and the Program to Support People and Enhance Recovery (ProSPER), Duke University, Durham, NC, United States of America.
| | - Deepshikha C Ashana
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine and the Program to Support People and Enhance Recovery (ProSPER), Duke University, Durham, NC, United States of America.
| | - Krista Haines
- Department of Surgery, Division of Trauma and Critical Care and Acute Care Surgery, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America.
| | - Maren K Olsen
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States of America; Durham Center of Innovation to Accelerate Discovery and Practice Transformation, Durham Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Durham, NC, United States of America.
| | - Jessie Gu
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine and the Program to Support People and Enhance Recovery (ProSPER), Duke University, Durham, NC, United States of America.
| | - Elias H Pratt
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine and the Program to Support People and Enhance Recovery (ProSPER), Duke University, Durham, NC, United States of America.
| | - Mashael Al-Hegelan
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine and the Program to Support People and Enhance Recovery (ProSPER), Duke University, Durham, NC, United States of America.
| | - Robert W Harrison
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States of America.
| | - Colleen Naglee
- Department of Anesthesia, Division of Neurology, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States of America.
| | - Allie Frear
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine and the Program to Support People and Enhance Recovery (ProSPER), Duke University, Durham, NC, United States of America.
| | - Hongqiu Yang
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States of America; Durham Center of Innovation to Accelerate Discovery and Practice Transformation, Durham Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Durham, NC, United States of America.
| | - Kimberly S Johnson
- Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatrics, Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States of America; Durham Veterans Affairs Geriatrics Research Education and Clinical Center (GRECC), United States of America.
| | - Sharron L Docherty
- School of Nursing, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States of America.
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20
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Nelson KE, Wright R, Fisher M, Koirala B, Roberts B, Sloan DH, Wu DS, Davidson PM. A Call to Action to Address Disparities in Palliative Care Access: A Conceptual Framework for Individualizing Care Needs. J Palliat Med 2021; 24:177-180. [PMID: 33026944 PMCID: PMC8255316 DOI: 10.1089/jpm.2020.0435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Palliative care is a values-driven approach for providing holistic care for individuals and their families enduring serious life-limiting illness. Despite its proven benefits, access and acceptance is not uniform across society. The genesis of palliative care was developed through a traditional Western lens, which dictated models of interaction and communication. As the importance of palliative care is increasingly recognized, barriers to accessing services and perceptions of relevance and appropriateness are being given greater consideration. The COVID-19 pandemic and recent social justice movements in the United States, and around the world, have led to an important moment in time for the palliative care community to step back and consider opportunities for expansion and growth. This article reviews traditional models of palliative care delivery and outlines a modified conceptual framework to support researchers, clinicians, and staff in evaluating priorities for ensuring individualized patient needs are addressed from a position of equity, to create an actionable path forward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie E. Nelson
- Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Rebecca Wright
- Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Marlena Fisher
- Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Binu Koirala
- Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | | | - Danetta H. Sloan
- Department of Health, Behavior, and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - David S. Wu
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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21
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Yu Y, Xiao L, Chamberlain DJ. Perceptions of care in patients from culturally and linguistically diverse background during acute and critical illness: A integrative literature review. Aust Crit Care 2020; 34:486-495. [PMID: 33358272 DOI: 10.1016/j.aucc.2020.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2019] [Revised: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/14/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The aim of this review was to provide a synthesis of research on perceptions of safety and quality of care of patients from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds during acute and critical illness. REVIEW METHOD USED An integrative literature review based on the four-stage framework of Whittemore and Knafl was conducted including problem identification, a systematic literature search strategy, critical review of selected research articles, and integration of findings. DATA SOURCES Primary research articles published between January 2008 and October 2020 were identified from seven databases: PubMed, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Web of Science, Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (Medline), PsycINFO, the Cochrane Library, and Scopus electronic databases. The comprehensive search also included a manual search of citations and references from the selected articles. REVIEW METHODS Data extracted from studies included authors, year, country of origin, methodology and method, sample or participants, key findings, strengths, and limitations. The Critical Appraisal Skill Programme was used to evaluate the quality of studies. RESULTS Sixteen studies were included in the final analysis after critical appraisal. Four themes were identified: communication; the influence of culture, spirituality, and religion on care expectations; end-of-life care; and organisational structure, policy, and culture. CONCLUSION Research into patients from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds requiring care in acute and critical care areas is limited, in both the Australian and global context. There is an opportunity for future research in this area to inform the safety and quality of health care for this patient population and to enhance staff education and training programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Yu
- College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia.
| | - Lily Xiao
- College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia.
| | - Diane J Chamberlain
- College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia.
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22
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Nguyen MT, Feeney T, Kim C, Drake FT, Mitchell SE, Bednarczyk M, Sanchez SE. Patient-Level Factors Influencing Palliative Care Consultation at a Safety-Net Urban Hospital. Am J Hosp Palliat Care 2020; 38:1299-1307. [PMID: 33325245 DOI: 10.1177/1049909120981764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The influence of patient-level factors on palliative and hospice care is unclear. We conducted a retrospective review of 2321 patients aged ≥18 that died within 6 months of admission to our institution between 2012 and 2017. Patients were included for analysis if their chart was complete, their length of stay was ≥48 hours, and if based on their diagnoses, they would have benefited from palliative care consultation (PCC). Bayesian regression with a weakly informative prior was used to find the odds ratio (OR) and 99% credible interval (CrI) of receiving PCC based on race/ethnicity, education, language, insurance status, and income. 730 patients fit our inclusion criteria and 30% (n = 211) received PCC. The OR of receiving PCC was 1.26 (99% CrI, 0.73-2.12) for Blacks, 0.81 (99% CrI, 0.31-1.86) for Hispanics, and 0.69 (99% CrI, 0.19-2.46) for other minorities. Less than high school education was associated with greater odds of PCC (OR 2.28, 99% CrI, 1.09-4.93) compared to no schooling. Compared to English speakers, non-English speakers had higher odds of receiving PCC when cared for by medical services (OR 3.01 [99% CrI, 1.44-5.32]) but lower odds of PCC when cared for by surgical services (0.22 [99% CrI, <0.01-3.42]). Insurance status and income were not associated with differences in PCC. At our institution, we found no evidence of racial/ethnic, insurance, or income status affecting PCC while primary language spoken and educational status did. Further investigation is warranted to examine the system and provider-level factors influencing PCC's low utilization by medical and surgical specialties.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Timothy Feeney
- 12259Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.,Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - F Thurston Drake
- 12259Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.,Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Suzanne E Mitchell
- 12259Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.,Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Sabrina E Sanchez
- 12259Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.,Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
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23
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Gott M, Morgan T, Williams L. Gender and palliative care: a call to arms. Palliat Care Soc Pract 2020; 14:2632352420957997. [PMID: 33134926 PMCID: PMC7576896 DOI: 10.1177/2632352420957997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
There has been a systematic and largely unconscious neglect of gender in
palliative care research, practice and policy. This is despite significant,
although previously uncollated, evidence that gender influences almost all
aspects of end-of-life preferences, experiences and care. The social situations
of women, transgender people and men often differ from one another while also
intersecting in complex ways with sex differences rooted in biology. If
palliative care is to meet its aspiration of providing universal benefit, it
urgently needs to address a range of gender inequalities currently (re)produced
at the level of the laboratory all the way through to government departments. In
this call to arms, we spotlight specific instances where gender inequalities
have been documented, for example, regarding end-of-life caregiving, end-of-life
intervention and palliative care access and benefit. We highlight how gender
inequalities intersect with other social determinants of health including
ethnicity and economic status to exacerbate situations of marginality. We
conclude by offering some practical steps that can be taken to support the
discipline to adopt a more critical gender lens to support more equitable
research, policy and practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Merryn Gott
- Professor, School of Nursing, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Tessa Morgan
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care and Cambridge Institute of Public Health, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Lisa Williams
- School of Nursing, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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24
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Lee YH, Wang JS, Curtis R, Huang SJ, Chang SS, Chen YC. Palliative medicine family conferences and caregiver psychological distress during prolonged mechanical ventilation. BMJ Support Palliat Care 2020; 10:443-451. [PMID: 32461221 DOI: 10.1136/bmjspcare-2019-002103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2019] [Revised: 03/17/2020] [Accepted: 05/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Little is known about the experience of family caregivers of patients who require prolonged mechanical ventilation (PMV). We examined the perspectives of caregivers of patients who died after PMV to explore the role of palliative care and the quality of dying and death (QODD) in patients and understand the psychological symptoms of these caregivers. METHODS A longitudinal study was performed in five hospitals in Taipei, Taiwan. Routine palliative care family conferences and optional consultation with a palliative care specialist were provided, and family caregivers were asked to complete surveys. RESULTS In total, 136 family caregivers of 136 patients receiving PMV were recruited and underwent face-to-face baseline interviews in 2016-2017. By 2018, 61 (45%) of 136 patients had died. We successfully interviewed 30 caregivers of patients' death to collect information on the QODD of patients and administer the Impact of Event Scale (IES), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) scale to caregivers. We observed that more frequent palliative care family conferences were associated with poorer QODD in patients (coefficients: -44.04% and 95% CIs -75.65 to -12.44), and more psychological symptoms among caregivers (coefficient: 9.77% and 95% CI 1.63 to 17.90 on CES-D and coefficient: 7.67% and 95% CI 0.78 to 14.55 on HADS). A higher caregiver burden at baseline correlated with lower psychological symptoms (coefficient: -0.35% and 95% CI -0.58 to -0.11 on IES and coefficient: -0.22% and 95% CI -0.40 to -0.05 on CES-D) among caregivers following the patients' death. Caregivers' who accepted the concept of palliative care had fewer psychological symptoms after patients' death (coefficient: -3.29% and 95% CI -6.32 to -0.25 on IES and coefficient: -3.22% and 95% CI -5.24 to -1.20 on CES-D). CONCLUSIONS Palliative care conferences were more common among family members with increased distress. Higher caregiver burden and caregiver acceptance of palliative care at baseline both predicted lower levels of caregiver distress after death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Han Lee
- Headquarters, Taipei City Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Family Medicine, Taipei City Hospital, Zhongxing Branch, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Jiao-Syuan Wang
- Department of Family Medicine, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Randall Curtis
- Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Sheng-Jean Huang
- Headquarters, Taipei City Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.,Surgical Department, Medical College, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shy-Shin Chang
- Department of Family Medicine, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Family Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yang Ching Chen
- Department of Family Medicine, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan .,Department of Family Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
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25
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Chuang E, Fiter RJ, Sanon OC, Wang A, Hope AA, Schechter CB, Gong MN. Race and Ethnicity and Satisfaction With Communication in the Intensive Care Unit. Am J Hosp Palliat Care 2020; 37:823-829. [PMID: 32237996 DOI: 10.1177/1049909120916126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Racial and ethnic minority patients receive poorer quality end-of-life (EoL) care compared with white patients. Differences in quality of communication (QOC) with clinicians may contribute to these disparities. We measured differences in satisfaction with communication in the intensive care unit (ICU) by race and ethnicity. MATERIALS AND METHODS This is a cross-sectional survey of family members of patients in ICUs of an academic medical center serving a diverse urban population using The Family Satisfaction with the ICU (FS-ICU) and QOC scales. RESULTS One hundred surveys were completed (18.8% white, non-Hispanic; 34.4% black, non-Hispanic; 31.3% Hispanic; 15.6% other race/ethnicity). Mean FS-ICU score was 84.2 (standard deviation [SD] 20.5) for white patients, 83.3 (SD 16.2) for black patients, 82.7 (SD 17.8) for Hispanic or Latino patients, and 80.9 (SD 18.8) for patients with other race/ethnicity (Kruskal-Wallis, P = .92). Differences remained insignificant when controlling for patient and respondent characteristics. The QOC scale was not scored due to nonresponse levels on questions about EoL communication. CONCLUSIONS Uniformly high ratings may have been influenced by avoidance of EoL discussion. This study is inconclusive regarding whether QOC influences disparities in EoL care since quality of EoL communication was not captured.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Chuang
- Department of Family and Social Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Ryan J Fiter
- Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital, NY, USA
| | - Omar C Sanon
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Ann Wang
- Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Aluko A Hope
- Division of Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, NY, USA
| | - Clyde B Schechter
- Department of Family and Social Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Michelle N Gong
- Division of Critical Care, Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
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26
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Yarnell CJ, Fu L, Bonares MJ, Nayfeh A, Fowler RA. Association between Chinese or South Asian ethnicity and end-of-life care in Ontario, Canada. CMAJ 2020; 192:E266-E274. [PMID: 32179535 PMCID: PMC7083548 DOI: 10.1503/cmaj.190655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ethnicity may be associated with important aspects of end-of-life care, such as what treatments are received, access to palliative care and where people die. However, most studies have focused on end-of-life care of white, Hispanic and black patients. We sought to compare end-of-life care delivered to people of Chinese and South Asian ethnicity with that delivered to others from the general population, in Ontario, Canada. METHODS In this population-based cohort study, we included all people who died in Ontario, Canada, between Apr. 1, 2004, and Mar. 31, 2015. People were identified as having Chinese or South Asian ethnicity on the basis of a validated surname algorithm. We used modified Poisson regression analyses to assess location of death and care received in the last 6 months of life. RESULTS We analyzed 967 339 decedents, including 18 959 (2.0%) of Chinese and 11 406 (1.2%) of South Asian ethnicity. Chinese (13.6%) and South Asian (18.5%) decedents were more likely than decedents from the general population (10.1%) to die in the intensive care unit (ICU). The adjusted relative risk of dying in intensive care was 1.21 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.15 to 1.27) for Chinese and 1.25 (95% CI 1.20 to 1.30) for South Asian decedents. In their last 6 months of life, decedents of Chinese and South Asian ethnicity experienced significantly more ICU admission, hospital admission, mechanical ventilation, dialysis, percutaneous feeding tube placement, tracheostomy and cardiopulmonary resuscitation than the general population. INTERPRETATION Decedents of Chinese and South Asian ethnicity in Ontario were more likely than decedents from the general population to receive aggressive care and to die in an ICU. These findings may be due to communication difficulties between patients and clinicians, differences in preferences about end-of-life care or differences in access to palliative care services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J Yarnell
- Interdepartmental Division of Critical Care Medicine (Yarnell, Fowler), Department of Medicine, University of Toronto; Mount Sinai Hospital (Yarnell); Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (Yarnell, Nayfeh, Fowler), University of Toronto; ICES (Fu); Division of Palliative Medicine (Bonares), Department of Medicine, University of Toronto; Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre (Fowler), Toronto, Ont
| | - Longdi Fu
- Interdepartmental Division of Critical Care Medicine (Yarnell, Fowler), Department of Medicine, University of Toronto; Mount Sinai Hospital (Yarnell); Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (Yarnell, Nayfeh, Fowler), University of Toronto; ICES (Fu); Division of Palliative Medicine (Bonares), Department of Medicine, University of Toronto; Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre (Fowler), Toronto, Ont
| | - Michael J Bonares
- Interdepartmental Division of Critical Care Medicine (Yarnell, Fowler), Department of Medicine, University of Toronto; Mount Sinai Hospital (Yarnell); Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (Yarnell, Nayfeh, Fowler), University of Toronto; ICES (Fu); Division of Palliative Medicine (Bonares), Department of Medicine, University of Toronto; Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre (Fowler), Toronto, Ont
| | - Ayah Nayfeh
- Interdepartmental Division of Critical Care Medicine (Yarnell, Fowler), Department of Medicine, University of Toronto; Mount Sinai Hospital (Yarnell); Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (Yarnell, Nayfeh, Fowler), University of Toronto; ICES (Fu); Division of Palliative Medicine (Bonares), Department of Medicine, University of Toronto; Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre (Fowler), Toronto, Ont
| | - Robert A Fowler
- Interdepartmental Division of Critical Care Medicine (Yarnell, Fowler), Department of Medicine, University of Toronto; Mount Sinai Hospital (Yarnell); Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (Yarnell, Nayfeh, Fowler), University of Toronto; ICES (Fu); Division of Palliative Medicine (Bonares), Department of Medicine, University of Toronto; Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre (Fowler), Toronto, Ont.
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27
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Woo KK, Can A, Chang DW. Racial Differences in the Utilization of Guideline-Recommended and Life-Sustaining Procedures During Hospitalizations for Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest. J Racial Ethn Health Disparities 2019; 7:403-412. [PMID: 31845289 DOI: 10.1007/s40615-019-00668-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2019] [Revised: 11/02/2019] [Accepted: 11/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Racial and ethnic minorities are at risk for disparities in quality of care after out-of-hospital cardiopulmonary arrest (OHCA). As such, we examined associations between race and ethnicity and use of guideline-recommended and life-sustaining procedures during hospitalizations for OHCA. METHODS This was a retrospective study of hospitalizations for OHCA in all acute-care, non-federal California hospitals from 2009 to 2011. Associations between the use of (1) guideline-recommended procedures (cardiac catheterization for ventricular fibrillation/tachycardia, therapeutic hypothermia), (2) life-sustaining procedures (percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG)/tracheostomy, renal replacement therapy (RRT)), and (3) palliative care and race/ethnicity were examined using hierarchical logistic regression analysis. RESULTS Among 51,198 hospitalizations for OHCA, unadjusted rates of cardiac catheterization were 34.9% in Whites, 19.8% in Blacks, 27.2% in Hispanics, and 30.9% in Asians (P < 0.01). Rates of therapeutic hypothermia were 2.3% in Whites, 1.1% in Blacks, 1.3% in Hispanics, and 1.9% in Asians (P < 0.01). Rates of PEG/tracheostomy and RRT were 2.2% and 9.8% in Whites, 5.7% and 19.9% in Blacks, 4.2% and 19.9% in Hispanics, and 3.4% and 18.2% in Asians, respectively (P < 0.01). Rates of palliative care were 14.8% in Whites, 9.6% in Blacks, 10.1% in Hispanics, and 14.3% in Asians (P < 0.01). Differences in utilization of procedures persisted after adjustment for patient and hospital-related factors. CONCLUSION Racial and ethnic minorities are less likely to receive guideline-recommended interventions and palliative care, and more likely to receive life-sustaining treatments following OHCA. These findings suggest that significant disparities exist in medical care after OHCA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth K Woo
- Division of Respiratory and Critical Care Physiology and Medicine, Department of Medicine, Los Angeles Biomed Research Institute at Harbor-University of California Los Angeles Medical Center, 1000 W. Carson Street, Torrance, CA, 90509, USA
| | - Argun Can
- Division of Respiratory and Critical Care Physiology and Medicine, Department of Medicine, Los Angeles Biomed Research Institute at Harbor-University of California Los Angeles Medical Center, 1000 W. Carson Street, Torrance, CA, 90509, USA
| | - Dong W Chang
- Division of Respiratory and Critical Care Physiology and Medicine, Department of Medicine, Los Angeles Biomed Research Institute at Harbor-University of California Los Angeles Medical Center, 1000 W. Carson Street, Torrance, CA, 90509, USA.
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28
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Chen C, Michaels J, Meeker MA. Family Outcomes and Perceptions of End-of-Life Care in the Intensive Care Unit: A Mixed-Methods Review. J Palliat Care 2019; 35:143-153. [PMID: 31543062 DOI: 10.1177/0825859719874767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiahui Chen
- School of Nursing, University at Buffalo-The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Jacqueline Michaels
- School of Nursing, University at Buffalo-The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA.,School of Nursing and Allied Health, SUNY Empire State College, Saratoga Springs, NY, USA
| | - Mary Ann Meeker
- School of Nursing, University at Buffalo-The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA
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29
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Peterson LJ, Hyer K, Meng H, Dobbs D, Gamaldo A, O’Neil K. Discussing End-of-Life Care Preferences With Family: Role of Race and Ethnicity. Res Aging 2019; 41:823-844. [DOI: 10.1177/0164027519858716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
This study examined racial, ethnic, and other factors associated with whether older adults discussed their end-of-life (EOL) care wishes with family. A sample of 223 White, 95 African American, and 46 Hispanic adults aged 50 and older from a five-county area of Florida answered questions about sociodemographics, health, and preferences for involving family/friends in health-care decision-making. Analyses describe associations between whether discussions occurred and race/ethnicity and other factors, including preferences for family/friend involvement in health care. In descriptive analyses, one third ( n = 113) had not discussed EOL care. No differences were evident between African Americans and non-Hispanic Whites. In multivariate analyses, EOL care discussions were less likely for Hispanics. Further analysis showed this lower likelihood existed among Hispanics with lesser family/friend involvement. Ethnicity influences EOL care discussion, moderated by family/friend involvement, though results are considered preliminary. Knowing the involvement of patients’ family/friends could help providers initiate EOL care discussions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kathryn Hyer
- School of Aging Studies, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Hongdao Meng
- School of Aging Studies, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Debra Dobbs
- School of Aging Studies, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Alyssa Gamaldo
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
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30
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Brooks KC. The Purple Heart. J Palliat Med 2019; 22:106-107. [DOI: 10.1089/jpm.2018.0239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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31
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Cain CL, Surbone A, Elk R, Kagawa-Singer M. Culture and Palliative Care: Preferences, Communication, Meaning, and Mutual Decision Making. J Pain Symptom Manage 2018; 55:1408-1419. [PMID: 29366913 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2018.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2017] [Revised: 01/11/2018] [Accepted: 01/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Palliative care is gaining acceptance across the world. However, even when palliative care resources exist, both the delivery and distribution of services too often are neither equitably nor acceptably provided to diverse population groups. The goal of this study was to illustrate tensions in the delivery of palliative care for diverse patient populations to help clinicians to improve care for all. We begin by defining and differentiating culture, race, and ethnicity, so that these terms-often used interchangeably-are not conflated and are more effectively used in caring for diverse populations. We then present examples from an integrative literature review of recent research on culture and palliative care to illustrate both how and why varied responses to pain and suffering occur in different patterns, focusing on four areas of palliative care: the formation of care preferences, communication patterns, different meanings of suffering, and decision-making processes about care. For each area, we provide international and multiethnic examples of variations that emphasize the need for personalization of care and the avoidance of stereotyping beliefs and practices without considering individual circumstances and life histories. We conclude with recommendations for improving palliative care research and practice with cultural perspectives, emphasizing the need to work in partnerships with patients, their family members, and communities to identify and negotiate culturally meaningful care, promote quality of life, and ensure the highest quality palliative care for all, both domestically and internationally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cindy L Cain
- Department of Health Policy and Management, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California.
| | - Antonella Surbone
- Department of Medicine, Division of Haematology and Medical Oncology, New York University Medical School, New York, New York
| | - Ronit Elk
- College of Nursing, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina
| | - Marjorie Kagawa-Singer
- Department of Community Health Sciences and Asian American Studies Center, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
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32
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Bakitas M, Dionne-Odom JN, Pamboukian SV, Tallaj J, Kvale E, Swetz KM, Frost J, Wells R, Azuero A, Keebler K, Akyar I, Ejem D, Steinhauser K, Smith T, Durant R, Kono AT. Engaging patients and families to create a feasible clinical trial integrating palliative and heart failure care: results of the ENABLE CHF-PC pilot clinical trial. BMC Palliat Care 2017; 16:45. [PMID: 28859648 PMCID: PMC5580310 DOI: 10.1186/s12904-017-0226-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2017] [Accepted: 08/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Early palliative care (EPC) is recommended but rarely integrated with advanced heart failure (HF) care. We engaged patients and family caregivers to study the feasibility and site differences in a two-site EPC trial, ENABLE CHF-PC (Educate, Nurture, Advise, Before Life Ends Comprehensive Heartcare for Patients and Caregivers). METHODS We conducted an EPC feasibility study (4/1/14-8/31/15) for patients with NYHA Class III/IV HF and their caregivers in academic medical centers in the northeast and southeast U.S. The EPC intervention comprised: 1) an in-person outpatient palliative care consultation; and 2) telephonic nurse coach sessions and monthly calls. We collected patient- and caregiver-reported outcomes of quality of life (QOL), symptom, health, anxiety, and depression at baseline, 12- and 24-weeks. We used linear mixed-models to assess baseline to week 24 longitudinal changes. RESULTS We enrolled 61 patients and 48 caregivers; between-site demographic differences included age, race, religion, marital, and work status. Most patients (69%) and caregivers (79%) completed all intervention sessions; however, we noted large between-site differences in measurement completion (38% southeast vs. 72% northeast). Patients experienced moderate effect size improvements in QOL, symptoms, physical, and mental health; caregivers experienced moderate effect size improvements in QOL, depression, mental health, and burden. Small-to-moderate effect size improvements were noted in patients' hospital and ICU days and emergency visits. CONCLUSIONS Between-site demographic, attrition, and participant-reported outcomes highlight the importance of intervention pilot-testing in culturally diverse populations. Observations from this pilot feasibility trial allowed us to refine the methodology of an in-progress, full-scale randomized clinical efficacy trial. TRIAL REGISTRATION Clinicaltrials.gov NCT03177447 (retrospectively registered, June 2017).
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Bakitas
- School of Nursing and Department of Medicine, Division of Gerontology, Geriatrics, and Palliative Care, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA. .,School of Nursing, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1720 2nd Ave South, MT 412C, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA.
| | - J Nicholas Dionne-Odom
- School of Nursing, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1720 2nd Ave South, MT 412C, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
| | - Salpy V Pamboukian
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Jose Tallaj
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Elizabeth Kvale
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gerontology, Geriatrics and Palliative Care, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Keith M Swetz
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gerontology, Geriatrics and Palliative Care, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Jennifer Frost
- Cardiology, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center/Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH, USA
| | - Rachel Wells
- School of Nursing, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Andres Azuero
- School of Nursing, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1720 2nd Ave South, MT 412C, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
| | - Konda Keebler
- School of Nursing, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1720 2nd Ave South, MT 412C, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
| | - Imatullah Akyar
- School of Nursing, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1720 2nd Ave South, MT 412C, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA.,Faculty of Health Sciences, Nursing Department, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Deborah Ejem
- School of Nursing, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1720 2nd Ave South, MT 412C, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
| | - Karen Steinhauser
- Center for Health Services Research in Primary Care, Durham VA Medical Center, Durham, NC, Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Tasha Smith
- School of Nursing, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1720 2nd Ave South, MT 412C, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
| | - Raegan Durant
- Department of Medicine, Division of Preventative Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Alan T Kono
- Cardiology, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center/Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH, USA
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Few studies have examined comprehensively racial/ethnic variations in quality of end-of-life care. OBJECTIVE Examine end-of-life care quality received by Veterans and their families, comparing racial/ethnic minorities to nonminorities. RESEARCH DESIGN This is a retrospective, cross-sectional analysis of chart review and survey data. SUBJECTS Nearly all deaths in 145 Veterans Affairs Medical Centers nationally (n=94,697) in addition to Bereaved Family Survey (BFS) data (n=51,859) from October 2009 to September 2014. MEASURES Outcomes included 15 BFS items and 4 indicators of high-quality end-of-life care, including receipt of a palliative care consult, chaplain visit, bereavement contact, and death in hospice/palliative care unit. Veteran race/ethnicity was measured via chart review and defined as non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black, Hispanic, or other. RESULTS In adjusted models, no differences were observed by race/ethnicity in receipt of a palliative care consult or death in a hospice unit. Although black Veterans were less likely than white Veterans to receive a chaplain visit, Hispanic Veterans were more likely than white Veterans to receive a chaplain visit and to receive a bereavement contact. Less favorable outcomes for racial/ethnic minorities were noted on several BFS items. In comparison with family members of white Veterans, families of minority Veterans were less likely to report excellent overall care, and this difference was largest for black Veterans (48% vs. 62%). CONCLUSIONS Bereaved family members of minority Veterans generally rate the quality of end-of-life care less favorably than those of white Veterans. Family perceptions are critical to the evaluation of equity and quality of end-of-life care.
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