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Johnson IM, Light MA. Pathways of Individuals Experiencing Serious Illness While Homeless: An Exploratory 4-Point Typology from the RASCAL-UP Study. JOURNAL OF SOCIAL WORK IN END-OF-LIFE & PALLIATIVE CARE 2023; 19:209-228. [PMID: 37331000 DOI: 10.1080/15524256.2023.2223772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
The shifting age demographics of those experiencing homelessness in the United States expose shortcomings and barriers within homelessness response services and safety-net healthcare to address serious illness. The purpose of this study is to describe the common trajectories of patients concurrently experiencing homelessness and serious illness. As a part of the Research, Action, and Supportive Care at Later-life for Unhoused People (RASCAL-UP) study, the study uses patient charts (n = 75) from the only specialty palliative care program in the U.S. specifically for people experiencing homelessness. Through a thematic mixed-method analysis, a four-point typology of care pathways taken by people experiencing homelessness while seriously ill is introduced: (1) aging and dying-in-place within the housing care system; (2) frequent transitions during serious illness; (3) healthcare institutions as housing; and (4) housing as palliation. Implications of this exploratory typology include targeted, site-specific interventions for supporting goal-concordant patient care and assisting researchers and policy makers in appreciating heterogeneity in experience and need among older and chronically ill people experiencing homelessness and housing precarity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian M Johnson
- University of Tennessee College of Social Work, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
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Curtis JR, Lee RY, Brumback LC, Kross EK, Downey L, Torrence J, LeDuc N, Mallon Andrews K, Im J, Heywood J, Brown CE, Sibley J, Lober WB, Cohen T, Weiner BJ, Khandelwal N, Abedini NC, Engelberg RA. Intervention to Promote Communication About Goals of Care for Hospitalized Patients With Serious Illness: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA 2023; 329:2028-2037. [PMID: 37210665 PMCID: PMC10201405 DOI: 10.1001/jama.2023.8812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Importance Discussions about goals of care are important for high-quality palliative care yet are often lacking for hospitalized older patients with serious illness. Objective To evaluate a communication-priming intervention to promote goals-of-care discussions between clinicians and hospitalized older patients with serious illness. Design, Setting, and Participants A pragmatic, randomized clinical trial of a clinician-facing communication-priming intervention vs usual care was conducted at 3 US hospitals within 1 health care system, including a university, county, and community hospital. Eligible hospitalized patients were aged 55 years or older with any of the chronic illnesses used by the Dartmouth Atlas project to study end-of-life care or were aged 80 years or older. Patients with documented goals-of-care discussions or a palliative care consultation between hospital admission and eligibility screening were excluded. Randomization occurred between April 2020 and March 2021 and was stratified by study site and history of dementia. Intervention Physicians and advance practice clinicians who were treating the patients randomized to the intervention received a 1-page, patient-specific intervention (Jumpstart Guide) to prompt and guide goals-of-care discussions. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome was the proportion of patients with electronic health record-documented goals-of-care discussions within 30 days. There was also an evaluation of whether the effect of the intervention varied by age, sex, history of dementia, minoritized race or ethnicity, or study site. Results Of 3918 patients screened, 2512 were enrolled (mean age, 71.7 [SD, 10.8] years and 42% were women) and randomized (1255 to the intervention group and 1257 to the usual care group). The patients were American Indian or Alaska Native (1.8%), Asian (12%), Black (13%), Hispanic (6%), Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander (0.5%), non-Hispanic (93%), and White (70%). The proportion of patients with electronic health record-documented goals-of-care discussions within 30 days was 34.5% (433 of 1255 patients) in the intervention group vs 30.4% (382 of 1257 patients) in the usual care group (hospital- and dementia-adjusted difference, 4.1% [95% CI, 0.4% to 7.8%]). The analyses of the treatment effect modifiers suggested that the intervention had a larger effect size among patients with minoritized race or ethnicity. Among 803 patients with minoritized race or ethnicity, the hospital- and dementia-adjusted proportion with goals-of-care discussions was 10.2% (95% CI, 4.0% to 16.5%) higher in the intervention group than in the usual care group. Among 1641 non-Hispanic White patients, the adjusted proportion with goals-of-care discussions was 1.6% (95% CI, -3.0% to 6.2%) higher in the intervention group than in the usual care group. There was no evidence of differential treatment effects of the intervention on the primary outcome by age, sex, history of dementia, or study site. Conclusions and Relevance Among hospitalized older adults with serious illness, a pragmatic clinician-facing communication-priming intervention significantly improved documentation of goals-of-care discussions in the electronic health record, with a greater effect size in racially or ethnically minoritized patients. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04281784.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. Randall Curtis
- Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence at UW Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle
| | - Robert Y. Lee
- Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence at UW Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle
| | | | - Erin K. Kross
- Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence at UW Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle
| | - Lois Downey
- Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence at UW Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle
| | - Janaki Torrence
- Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence at UW Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle
| | - Nicole LeDuc
- Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence at UW Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle
| | - Kasey Mallon Andrews
- Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence at UW Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle
| | - Jennifer Im
- Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence at UW Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle
- Department of Health Systems and Population Health, University of Washington, Seattle
| | - Joanna Heywood
- Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence at UW Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle
| | - Crystal E. Brown
- Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence at UW Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle
| | - James Sibley
- Department of Biobehavioral Nursing and Health Informatics, University of Washington, Seattle
| | - William B. Lober
- Department of Biobehavioral Nursing and Health Informatics, University of Washington, Seattle
- Department of Biomedical Informatics and Medical Education, University of Washington, Seattle
| | - Trevor Cohen
- Department of Biomedical Informatics and Medical Education, University of Washington, Seattle
| | - Bryan J. Weiner
- Department of Health Systems and Population Health, University of Washington, Seattle
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle
| | - Nita Khandelwal
- Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence at UW Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle
| | - Nauzley C. Abedini
- Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence at UW Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle
- Division of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle
| | - Ruth A. Engelberg
- Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence at UW Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle
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3
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Uyeda AM, Lee RY, Pollack LR, Paul SR, Downey L, Brumback LC, Engelberg RA, Sibley J, Lober WB, Cohen T, Torrence J, Kross EK, Curtis JR. Predictors of Documented Goals-of-Care Discussion for Hospitalized Patients With Chronic Illness. J Pain Symptom Manage 2023; 65:233-241. [PMID: 36423800 PMCID: PMC9928787 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2022.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2022] [Revised: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
CONTEXT Goals-of-care discussions are important for patient-centered care among hospitalized patients with serious illness. However, there are little data on the occurrence, predictors, and timing of these discussions. OBJECTIVES To examine the occurrence, predictors, and timing of electronic health record (EHR)-documented goals-of-care discussions for hospitalized patients. METHODS This retrospective cohort study used natural language processing (NLP) to examine EHR-documented goals-of-care discussions for adults with chronic life-limiting illness or age ≥80 hospitalized 2015-2019. The primary outcome was NLP-identified documentation of a goals-of-care discussion during the index hospitalization. We used multivariable logistic regression to evaluate associations with baseline characteristics. RESULTS Of 16,262 consecutive, eligible patients without missing data, 5,918 (36.4%) had a documented goals-of-care discussion during hospitalization; approximately 57% of these discussions occurred within 24 hours of admission. In multivariable analysis, documented goals-of-care discussions were more common for women (OR=1.26, 95%CI 1.18-1.36), older patients (OR=1.04 per year, 95%CI 1.03-1.04), and patients with more comorbidities (OR=1.11 per Deyo-Charlson point, 95%CI 1.10-1.13), cancer (OR=1.88, 95%CI 1.72-2.06), dementia (OR=2.60, 95%CI 2.29-2.94), higher acute illness severity (OR=1.12 per National Early Warning Score point, 95%CI 1.11-1.14), or prior advance care planning documents (OR=1.18, 95%CI 1.08-1.30). Documentation of these discussions was less common for racially or ethnically minoritized patients (OR=0.823, 95%CI 0.75-0.90). CONCLUSION Among hospitalized patients with serious illness, documented goals-of-care discussions identified by NLP were more common among patients with older age and increased burden of acute or chronic illness, and less common among racially or ethnically minoritized patients. This suggests important disparities in goals-of-care discussions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison M Uyeda
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington (A.M.U., R.Y.L., L.R.P., S.R.P., L.D., R.A.E, J.T., E.K.K., J.R.C.), Seattle, Washington, USA; Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence at UW Medicine, University of Washington (A.M.U., R.Y.L., L.R.P., S.R.P., L.D., L.C.B., R.A.E., J.S., W.B.L., T.C., J.T., E.K.K., J.R.C.), Seattle, Washington, USA; Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, Harborview Medical Center, University of Washington (A.M.U., R.Y.L., L.R.P., S.R.P., L.D., R.A.E., J.T., E.K.K., J.R.C.), Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Robert Y Lee
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington (A.M.U., R.Y.L., L.R.P., S.R.P., L.D., R.A.E, J.T., E.K.K., J.R.C.), Seattle, Washington, USA; Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence at UW Medicine, University of Washington (A.M.U., R.Y.L., L.R.P., S.R.P., L.D., L.C.B., R.A.E., J.S., W.B.L., T.C., J.T., E.K.K., J.R.C.), Seattle, Washington, USA; Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, Harborview Medical Center, University of Washington (A.M.U., R.Y.L., L.R.P., S.R.P., L.D., R.A.E., J.T., E.K.K., J.R.C.), Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Lauren R Pollack
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington (A.M.U., R.Y.L., L.R.P., S.R.P., L.D., R.A.E, J.T., E.K.K., J.R.C.), Seattle, Washington, USA; Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence at UW Medicine, University of Washington (A.M.U., R.Y.L., L.R.P., S.R.P., L.D., L.C.B., R.A.E., J.S., W.B.L., T.C., J.T., E.K.K., J.R.C.), Seattle, Washington, USA; Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, Harborview Medical Center, University of Washington (A.M.U., R.Y.L., L.R.P., S.R.P., L.D., R.A.E., J.T., E.K.K., J.R.C.), Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Sudiptho R Paul
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington (A.M.U., R.Y.L., L.R.P., S.R.P., L.D., R.A.E, J.T., E.K.K., J.R.C.), Seattle, Washington, USA; Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence at UW Medicine, University of Washington (A.M.U., R.Y.L., L.R.P., S.R.P., L.D., L.C.B., R.A.E., J.S., W.B.L., T.C., J.T., E.K.K., J.R.C.), Seattle, Washington, USA; Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, Harborview Medical Center, University of Washington (A.M.U., R.Y.L., L.R.P., S.R.P., L.D., R.A.E., J.T., E.K.K., J.R.C.), Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Lois Downey
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington (A.M.U., R.Y.L., L.R.P., S.R.P., L.D., R.A.E, J.T., E.K.K., J.R.C.), Seattle, Washington, USA; Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence at UW Medicine, University of Washington (A.M.U., R.Y.L., L.R.P., S.R.P., L.D., L.C.B., R.A.E., J.S., W.B.L., T.C., J.T., E.K.K., J.R.C.), Seattle, Washington, USA; Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, Harborview Medical Center, University of Washington (A.M.U., R.Y.L., L.R.P., S.R.P., L.D., R.A.E., J.T., E.K.K., J.R.C.), Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Lyndia C Brumback
- Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence at UW Medicine, University of Washington (A.M.U., R.Y.L., L.R.P., S.R.P., L.D., L.C.B., R.A.E., J.S., W.B.L., T.C., J.T., E.K.K., J.R.C.), Seattle, Washington, USA; Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington (L.C.B.), Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Ruth A Engelberg
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington (A.M.U., R.Y.L., L.R.P., S.R.P., L.D., R.A.E, J.T., E.K.K., J.R.C.), Seattle, Washington, USA; Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence at UW Medicine, University of Washington (A.M.U., R.Y.L., L.R.P., S.R.P., L.D., L.C.B., R.A.E., J.S., W.B.L., T.C., J.T., E.K.K., J.R.C.), Seattle, Washington, USA; Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, Harborview Medical Center, University of Washington (A.M.U., R.Y.L., L.R.P., S.R.P., L.D., R.A.E., J.T., E.K.K., J.R.C.), Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - James Sibley
- Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence at UW Medicine, University of Washington (A.M.U., R.Y.L., L.R.P., S.R.P., L.D., L.C.B., R.A.E., J.S., W.B.L., T.C., J.T., E.K.K., J.R.C.), Seattle, Washington, USA; Department of Biomedical Informatics and Medical Education, University of Washington (J.S., W.B.L., T.C.), Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - William B Lober
- Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence at UW Medicine, University of Washington (A.M.U., R.Y.L., L.R.P., S.R.P., L.D., L.C.B., R.A.E., J.S., W.B.L., T.C., J.T., E.K.K., J.R.C.), Seattle, Washington, USA; Department of Biomedical Informatics and Medical Education, University of Washington (J.S., W.B.L., T.C.), Seattle, Washington, USA; Department of Biobehavioral Nursing and Health Informatics, University of Washington (W.B.L.), Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Trevor Cohen
- Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence at UW Medicine, University of Washington (A.M.U., R.Y.L., L.R.P., S.R.P., L.D., L.C.B., R.A.E., J.S., W.B.L., T.C., J.T., E.K.K., J.R.C.), Seattle, Washington, USA; Department of Biomedical Informatics and Medical Education, University of Washington (J.S., W.B.L., T.C.), Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Janaki Torrence
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington (A.M.U., R.Y.L., L.R.P., S.R.P., L.D., R.A.E, J.T., E.K.K., J.R.C.), Seattle, Washington, USA; Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence at UW Medicine, University of Washington (A.M.U., R.Y.L., L.R.P., S.R.P., L.D., L.C.B., R.A.E., J.S., W.B.L., T.C., J.T., E.K.K., J.R.C.), Seattle, Washington, USA; Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, Harborview Medical Center, University of Washington (A.M.U., R.Y.L., L.R.P., S.R.P., L.D., R.A.E., J.T., E.K.K., J.R.C.), Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Erin K Kross
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington (A.M.U., R.Y.L., L.R.P., S.R.P., L.D., R.A.E, J.T., E.K.K., J.R.C.), Seattle, Washington, USA; Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence at UW Medicine, University of Washington (A.M.U., R.Y.L., L.R.P., S.R.P., L.D., L.C.B., R.A.E., J.S., W.B.L., T.C., J.T., E.K.K., J.R.C.), Seattle, Washington, USA; Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, Harborview Medical Center, University of Washington (A.M.U., R.Y.L., L.R.P., S.R.P., L.D., R.A.E., J.T., E.K.K., J.R.C.), Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - J Randall Curtis
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington (A.M.U., R.Y.L., L.R.P., S.R.P., L.D., R.A.E, J.T., E.K.K., J.R.C.), Seattle, Washington, USA; Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence at UW Medicine, University of Washington (A.M.U., R.Y.L., L.R.P., S.R.P., L.D., L.C.B., R.A.E., J.S., W.B.L., T.C., J.T., E.K.K., J.R.C.), Seattle, Washington, USA; Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, Harborview Medical Center, University of Washington (A.M.U., R.Y.L., L.R.P., S.R.P., L.D., R.A.E., J.T., E.K.K., J.R.C.), Seattle, Washington, USA.
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4
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Curtis JR, Lee RY, Brumback LC, Kross EK, Downey L, Torrence J, Heywood J, LeDuc N, Mallon Andrews K, Im J, Weiner BJ, Khandelwal N, Abedini NC, Engelberg RA. Improving communication about goals of care for hospitalized patients with serious illness: Study protocol for two complementary randomized trials. Contemp Clin Trials 2022; 120:106879. [PMID: 35963531 PMCID: PMC10042145 DOI: 10.1016/j.cct.2022.106879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although goals-of-care discussions are important for high-quality palliative care, this communication is often lacking for hospitalized older patients with serious illness. Electronic health records (EHR) provide an opportunity to identify patients who might benefit from these discussions and promote their occurrence, yet prior interventions using the EHR for this purpose are limited. We designed two complementary yet independent randomized trials to examine effectiveness of a communication-priming intervention (Jumpstart) for hospitalized older adults with serious illness. METHODS We report the protocol for these 2 randomized trials. Trial 1 has two arms, usual care and a clinician-facing Jumpstart, and is a pragmatic trial assessing outcomes with the EHR only (n = 2000). Trial 2 has three arms: usual care, clinician-facing Jumpstart, and clinician- and patient-facing (bi-directional) Jumpstart (n = 600). We hypothesize the clinician-facing Jumpstart will improve outcomes over usual care and the bi-directional Jumpstart will improve outcomes over the clinician-facing Jumpstart and usual care. We use a hybrid effectiveness-implementation design to examine implementation barriers and facilitators. OUTCOMES For both trials, the primary outcome is EHR documentation of a goals-of-care discussion within 30 days of randomization; additional outcomes include intensity of end-of-life care. Trial 2 also examines patient- or family-reported outcomes assessed by surveys targeting 3-5 days and 4-8 weeks after randomization including quality of goals-of-care communication, receipt of goal-concordant care, and psychological symptoms. CONCLUSIONS This novel study incorporates two complementary randomized trials and a hybrid effectiveness-implementation approach to improve the quality and value of care for hospitalized older adults with serious illness. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION STUDY00007031-A and STUDY00007031-B.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Randall Curtis
- Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence at UW Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America; Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America.
| | - Robert Y Lee
- Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence at UW Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America; Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America
| | - Lyndia C Brumback
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America
| | - Erin K Kross
- Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence at UW Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America; Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America
| | - Lois Downey
- Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence at UW Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America; Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America
| | - Janaki Torrence
- Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence at UW Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America; Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America
| | - Joanna Heywood
- Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence at UW Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America; Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America
| | - Nicole LeDuc
- Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence at UW Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America; Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America
| | - Kasey Mallon Andrews
- Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence at UW Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America; Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America
| | - Jennifer Im
- Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence at UW Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America; Department of Health Systems and Population Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America
| | - Bryan J Weiner
- Department of Health Systems and Population Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America; Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America
| | - Nita Khandelwal
- Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence at UW Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America; Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America
| | - Nauzley C Abedini
- Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence at UW Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America; Division of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America
| | - Ruth A Engelberg
- Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence at UW Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America; Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America
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5
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Lee RY, Modes ME, Sathitratanacheewin S, Engelberg RA, Curtis JR, Kross EK. Conflicting Orders in Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment Forms. J Am Geriatr Soc 2020; 68:2903-2908. [PMID: 32936447 PMCID: PMC7744421 DOI: 10.1111/jgs.16828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Revised: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 08/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES Many older persons with chronic illness use Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) to document portable medical orders for emergency care. However, some POLSTs contain combinations of orders that do not translate into a cohesive care plan (eg, cardiopulmonary resuscitation [CPR] without intensive care, or intensive care without antibiotics). This study characterizes the prevalence and predictors of POLSTs with conflicting orders. DESIGN Retrospective cohort study. SETTING Large academic health system. PARTICIPANTS A total of 3,123 POLST users with chronic life-limiting illness who died between 2010 and 2015 (mean age = 69.7 years). MEASUREMENTS In a retrospective review of all POLSTs in participants' electronic health records, we describe the prevalence of POLSTs with conflicting orders for cardiac arrest and medical interventions, and use clustered logistic regression to evaluate potential predictors of conflicting orders. We also examine the prevalence of conflicts between POLST orders for antibiotics and artificial nutrition with orders for cardiac arrest or medical interventions. RESULTS Among 3,924 complete POLSTs belonging to 3,123 decedents, 209 (5.3%) POLSTs contained orders to "attempt CPR" paired with orders for "limited interventions" or "comfort measures only"; 745/3169 (23.5%) POLSTs paired orders to restrict antibiotics with orders to deliver non-comfort-only care; and, 170/3098 (5.5%) POLSTs paired orders to withhold artificial nutrition with orders to deliver CPR or intensive care. Among POLSTs with orders to avoid intensive care, orders to attempt CPR were more likely to be present in POLSTs completed earlier in the patient's illness course (adjusted odds ratio = 1.27 per twofold increase in days from POLST to death; 95% confidence interval = 1.18-1.36; P < .001). CONCLUSION Although most POLSTs are actionable by clinicians, 5% had conflicting orders for cardiac arrest and medical interventions, and 24% had one or more conflicts between orders for cardiac arrest, medical interventions, antibiotics, and artificial nutrition. These conflicting orders make implementation of POLST challenging for clinicians in acute care settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Y. Lee
- Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, Harborview Medical Center, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Matthew E. Modes
- Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, Harborview Medical Center, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Seelwan Sathitratanacheewin
- Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
- Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Ruth A. Engelberg
- Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, Harborview Medical Center, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - J. Randall Curtis
- Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, Harborview Medical Center, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Erin K. Kross
- Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, Harborview Medical Center, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
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6
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Jang CS, Wang JD. Predicting Mortality and Life Expectancy in Patients under Prolonged Mechanical Ventilation and Maintenance Dialysis. J Palliat Med 2019; 23:74-81. [PMID: 31347942 PMCID: PMC6931911 DOI: 10.1089/jpm.2018.0646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: The number of patients receiving prolonged mechanical ventilation (PMV) or maintenance dialysis (MD) is increasing worldwide. Identification of those with a short life expectancy is useful for early referral of palliative care. Objective: To determine the survival rate, life expectancy, and major prognostic factors in patients under both PMV and MD. Design: We extracted a 1:3.4 random sample of patients treated with mechanical ventilation (MV) from the National Health Insurance (NHI) Research Database of Taiwan from 2003 to 2007. Subjects who had undergone MD and received MV for longer than 21 days were enrolled. Setting/Subjects: There were 1035 patients who received both PMV and MD. Measurements: The survival rates and life expectancy were estimated. A multivariate proportional hazards model was constructed to validate the effects of different prognostic factors, including age, gender, hospital size, and major comorbidities. Results: The median length of survival of patients under both PMV and MD was 54 days. The three-month, six-month, and one-year survival rates were 40.8%, 24.1%, and 12.6%, respectively. The life expectancies of those older than 70 years were five months; those comorbid with cancer and septicemia were 112 and 90 days, respectively. After adjustments for covariates, we found following prognostic factors were statistically significant: gangrene, peritonitis, liver cirrhosis, cancer, septicemia, hydrocephalus, having device complications, and shock. Conclusions: More than 85% of patients receiving both PMV and MD died within one year. Communication and early referral for palliative care would be indicated for those comorbid with significant prognostic factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang-Sheng Jang
- Puli Christian Hospital, Nantou County, Taiwan.,Department of Public Health, National Cheng Kung University College of Medicine, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Jung-Der Wang
- Department of Public Health, National Cheng Kung University College of Medicine, Tainan, Taiwan.,Department of Internal Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Tainan, Taiwan.,Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Tainan, Taiwan
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7
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Sathitratanacheewin S, Engelberg RA, Downey L, Lee RY, Fausto JA, Starks H, Dunlap B, Sibley J, Lober W, Loggers ET, Khandelwal N, Curtis JR. Temporal Trends Between 2010 and 2015 in Intensity of Care at End-of-Life for Patients With Chronic Illness: Influence of Age Under vs. Over 65 Years. J Pain Symptom Manage 2018; 55:75-81. [PMID: 28887270 PMCID: PMC5734983 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2017.08.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2017] [Revised: 08/25/2017] [Accepted: 08/25/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
CONTEXT Recent analyses of Medicare data show decreases over time in intensity of end-of-life care. Few studies exist regarding trends in intensity of end-of-life care for those under 65 years of age. OBJECTIVES To examine recent temporal trends in place of death, and both hospital and intensive care unit (ICU) utilization, for age-stratified decedents with chronic, life-limiting diagnoses (<65 vs. ≥65 years) who received care in a large healthcare system. METHODS Retrospective cohort using death certificates and electronic health records for 22,068 patients with chronic illnesses who died between 2010 and 2015. We examined utilization overall and stratified by age using multiple regression. RESULTS The proportion of deaths at home did not change, but hospital admissions in the last 30 days of life decreased significantly from 2010 to 2015 (hospital b = -0.026; CI = -0.041, -0.012). ICU admissions in the last 30 days also declined over time for the full sample and for patients aged 65 years or older (overall b = -0.023; CI = -0.039, -0.007), but was not significant for younger decedents. Length of stay (LOS) did not decrease for those using the hospital or ICU. CONCLUSION From 2010 to 2015, we observed a decrease in hospital admissions for all age groups and in ICU admissions for those over 65 years. As there were no changes in the proportion of patients with chronic illness who died at home nor in hospital or ICU LOS in the last 30 days, hospital and ICU admissions in the last 30 days may be a more responsive quality metric than site of death or LOS for palliative care interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seelwan Sathitratanacheewin
- Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA; Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Ruth A Engelberg
- Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA; Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Lois Downey
- Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA; Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Robert Y Lee
- Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA; Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - James A Fausto
- Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA; Department of Family Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Helene Starks
- Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA; Department of Bioethics and Humanities, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Ben Dunlap
- Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA; Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - James Sibley
- Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA; Department of Bioinformatics and Medical Education, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - William Lober
- Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA; Department of Bioinformatics and Medical Education, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Elizabeth T Loggers
- Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, Seattle, Washington, USA; Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Nita Khandelwal
- Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA; Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - J Randall Curtis
- Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA; Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.
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8
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Curtis JR, Sathitratanacheewin S, Starks H, Lee RY, Kross EK, Downey L, Sibley J, Lober W, Loggers ET, Fausto JA, Lindvall C, Engelberg RA. Using Electronic Health Records for Quality Measurement and Accountability in Care of the Seriously Ill: Opportunities and Challenges. J Palliat Med 2017; 21:S52-S60. [PMID: 29182487 DOI: 10.1089/jpm.2017.0542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND As our population ages and the burden of chronic illness rises, there is increasing need to implement quality metrics that measure and benchmark care of the seriously ill, including the delivery of both primary care and specialty palliative care. Such metrics can be used to drive quality improvement, value-based payment, and accountability for population-based outcomes. METHODS In this article, we examine use of the electronic health record (EHR) as a tool to assess quality of serious illness care through narrative review and description of a palliative care quality metrics program in a large healthcare system. RESULTS In the search for feasible, reliable, and valid palliative care quality metrics, the EHR is an attractive option for collecting quality data on large numbers of seriously ill patients. However, important challenges to using EHR data for quality improvement and accountability exist, including understanding the validity, reliability, and completeness of the data, as well as acknowledging the difference between care documented and care delivered. Challenges also include developing achievable metrics that are clearly linked to patient and family outcomes and addressing data interoperability across sites as well as EHR platforms and vendors. This article summarizes the strengths and weakness of the EHR as a data source for accountability of community- and population-based programs for serious illness, describes the implementation of EHR data in the palliative care quality metrics program at the University of Washington, and, based on that experience, discusses opportunities and challenges. Our palliative care metrics program was designed to serve as a resource for other healthcare systems. DISCUSSION Although the EHR offers great promise for enhancing quality of care provided for the seriously ill, significant challenges remain to operationalizing this promise on a national scale and using EHR data for population-based quality and accountability.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Randall Curtis
- 1 Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence, University of Washington , Seattle, Washington.,2 Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, University of Washington , Seattle, Washington.,3 Department of Bioethics and Humanities, University of Washington , Seattle, Washington
| | - Seelwan Sathitratanacheewin
- 1 Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence, University of Washington , Seattle, Washington.,2 Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, University of Washington , Seattle, Washington
| | - Helene Starks
- 1 Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence, University of Washington , Seattle, Washington.,3 Department of Bioethics and Humanities, University of Washington , Seattle, Washington.,4 Department of Family Medicine, University of Washington , Seattle, Washington
| | - Robert Y Lee
- 1 Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence, University of Washington , Seattle, Washington.,2 Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, University of Washington , Seattle, Washington
| | - Erin K Kross
- 1 Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence, University of Washington , Seattle, Washington.,2 Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, University of Washington , Seattle, Washington
| | - Lois Downey
- 1 Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence, University of Washington , Seattle, Washington.,2 Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, University of Washington , Seattle, Washington
| | - James Sibley
- 1 Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence, University of Washington , Seattle, Washington.,5 Department of Bioinformatics and Medical Education, University of Washington , Seattle, Washington
| | - William Lober
- 1 Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence, University of Washington , Seattle, Washington.,5 Department of Bioinformatics and Medical Education, University of Washington , Seattle, Washington
| | - Elizabeth T Loggers
- 1 Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence, University of Washington , Seattle, Washington.,6 Seattle Cancer Care Alliance , Seattle, Washington.,7 Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center , Seattle, Washington
| | - James A Fausto
- 1 Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence, University of Washington , Seattle, Washington.,4 Department of Family Medicine, University of Washington , Seattle, Washington
| | - Charlotta Lindvall
- 8 Department of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute , Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Ruth A Engelberg
- 1 Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence, University of Washington , Seattle, Washington.,2 Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, University of Washington , Seattle, Washington
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