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Mirarchi F, Pope TM. Widespread Misinterpretation of Advance Directives and Portable Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatments Threatens Patient Safety and Causes Undertreatment and Overtreatment. J Patient Saf 2023; 19:289-292. [PMID: 37318847 PMCID: PMC10373840 DOI: 10.1097/pts.0000000000001137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ferdinando Mirarchi
- From the Department of Emergency Medicine, UPMC Hamot, and UPMC Northern Tier, Erie, Pennsylvania
- MIDEO Advance Care Planning Service Line, US Acute Care Solutions Research Group, Canton, Ohio
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2
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Rocha Tardelli N, Neves Forte D, de Oliveira Vidal EI. Advance Care Planning in Brazil. ZEITSCHRIFT FUR EVIDENZ, FORTBILDUNG UND QUALITAT IM GESUNDHEITSWESEN 2023; 180:43-49. [PMID: 37380546 DOI: 10.1016/j.zefq.2023.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023]
Abstract
Brazil is a country of continental size marked by extreme social inequalities. Its regulation of Advance Directives (AD) was not enacted by law but within the scope of the norms that govern the relationships between patients and physicians, as a resolution of the Federal Medical Council without any specific requirement for notarization. Despite this innovative starting point, most of the debate regarding Advance Care Planning (ACP) in Brazil has been dominated by a legal transactional approach focused on making decisions in advance and the creation of AD. Yet, other novel ACP models have recently emerged in the country with a focus on the creation of a specific quality of relationship between patients, families, and physicians aiming at the facilitating future decision-making. Most of the education on ACP in Brazil happens in the context of palliative care courses. As such, most ACP conversations are performed within palliative care services or by healthcare professionals with training in that area. Hence, the scarce access to palliative care services in the country means that ACP is still rare and that those conversations usually happen late in the course of disease. The authors posit that the existing paternalistic healthcare culture is one of the most important barriers to ACP in Brazil and envision with great concern the risk that its combination with extreme health inequalities and the lack of healthcare professionals' education on shared decision-making could lead to the misuse of ACP as a form of coercive practice to reduce healthcare use by vulnerable populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natália Rocha Tardelli
- Geriatrics division, Internal Medicine Department, Botucatu Medical School, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil.
| | - Daniel Neves Forte
- Emergency Department, University of São Paulo (USP) Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil; Research and Teaching Institute, Sírio-Libanês Hospital, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Edison Iglesias de Oliveira Vidal
- Geriatrics division, Internal Medicine Department, Botucatu Medical School, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
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3
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Hughes K, Achauer S, Baker EF, Knowles HC, Clayborne EP, Goett RR, Moussa M. Addressing end-of-life care in the chronically ill: Conversations in the emergency department. J Am Coll Emerg Physicians Open 2021; 2:e12569. [PMID: 34632450 PMCID: PMC8486416 DOI: 10.1002/emp2.12569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Revised: 09/05/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Patients present to the emergency department in various stages of chronic illness. Advance directives (ADs) aid emergency physicians in making treatment decisions, but only a minority of Americans have completed an AD, and the percentage of those who have discussed their end-of-life wishes may be even lower. This article addresses the use of common ADs and roadblocks to their use from the perspectives of families, patients, and physicians. Cases to examine new approaches to optimizing end-of-life conversations in patients who are chronically ill, such as the Improving Palliative Care in Emergency Medicine Project, a decision-making framework that opens discussion for patients to gain understanding and determine preferences, and the Brief Negotiated Interview, a 7-minute, scripted, motivational interview that determines willingness for behavior change and initiates care planning, are used.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarina Hughes
- University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life SciencesToledoOhioUSA
| | - Samantha Achauer
- University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life SciencesToledoOhioUSA
| | | | | | - Elizabeth P. Clayborne
- Department of Emergency MedicineUniversity of Maryland School of MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | | | - Mohamad Moussa
- Emergency MedicineUniversity of Toledo College of Medicine and Life SciencesToledoOhioUSA
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4
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Vranas KC, Plinke W, Bourne D, Kansagara D, Lee RY, Kross EK, Slatore CG, Sullivan DR. The influence of POLST on treatment intensity at the end of life: A systematic review. J Am Geriatr Soc 2021; 69:3661-3674. [PMID: 34549418 DOI: 10.1111/jgs.17447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 08/04/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite its widespread implementation, it is unclear whether Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) are safe and improve the delivery of care that patients desire. We sought to systematically review the influence of POLST on treatment intensity among patients with serious illness and/or frailty. METHODS We performed a systematic review of POLST and similar programs using MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Database for Systematic Reviews, and PsycINFO, from inception through February 28, 2020. We included adults with serious illness and/or frailty with life expectancy <1 year. Primary outcomes included place of death and receipt of high-intensity treatment (i.e., hospitalization in the last 30- and 90-days of life, ICU admission in the last 30-days of life, and number of care setting transitions in last week of life). RESULTS Among 104,554 patients across 20 observational studies, 27,090 had POLST. No randomized controlled trials were identified. The mean age of POLST users was 78.7 years, 55.3% were female, and 93.0% were white. The majority of POLST users (55.3%) had orders for comfort measures only. Most studies showed that, compared to full treatment orders on POLST, treatment limitations were associated with decreased in-hospital death and receipt of high-intensity treatment, particularly in pre-hospital settings. However, in the acute care setting, a sizable number of patients likely received POLST-discordant care. The overall strength of evidence was moderate based on eight retrospective cohort studies of good quality that showed a consistent, similar direction of outcomes with moderate-to-large effect sizes. CONCLUSION We found moderate strength of evidence that treatment limitations on POLST may reduce treatment intensity among patients with serious illness. However, the evidence base is limited and demonstrates potential unintended consequences of POLST. We identify several important knowledge gaps that should be addressed to help maximize benefits and minimize risks of POLST.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly C Vranas
- Health Services Research & Development, VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, Oregon, USA.,Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA.,Palliative and Advanced Illness Research (PAIR) Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Section of Pulmonary and Critical Care, VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Wesley Plinke
- Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Donald Bourne
- University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Devan Kansagara
- Health Services Research & Development, VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, Oregon, USA.,Division of General Internal Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, 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
| | - Erin K Kross
- 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
| | - Christopher G Slatore
- Health Services Research & Development, VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, Oregon, USA.,Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA.,Section of Pulmonary and Critical Care, VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Donald R Sullivan
- Health Services Research & Development, VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, Oregon, USA.,Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA.,Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA
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5
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Mirarchi F, Cammarata C, Cooney TE, Juhasz K, Terman SA. TRIAD IX: Can a Patient Testimonial Safely Help Ensure Prehospital Appropriate Critical Versus End-of-Life Care? J Patient Saf 2021; 17:458-466. [PMID: 28622155 DOI: 10.1097/pts.0000000000000387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The present study sought to assess the clarity of Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) or Living Will (LW) documents alone or in combination with a video message/testimonial (VM). METHODS Emergency medical services (EMS) personnel responded to survey questions about the meaning of stand-alone POLST and LW documents and those used in conjunction with emergent care scenarios. Personnel were randomized to receive documents only or documents with VM. Questions sought a code status for each scenario and a resuscitation decision. Code status responses were analyzed for consensus (95% response rate), resuscitation responses for correct treatment decisions. RESULTS The survey response rate was 85%. Approximately half of emergency medical technician (EMT) respondents were EMT basic, and half EMT respondents were paramedic, with an average age of 42 years. Less than half had previous POLST/LW training averaging 2 hours. Consensus failed to be reached for stand-alone documents. For clinical scenarios, responses to POLST documents specifying do not resuscitate/comfort measures only or cardiopulmonary resuscitation/full treatment exceeded 80% for code status designation and correct resuscitation decisions. Other POLST resuscitation/treatment combinations showed more disparate responses, and most benefited from VM with changes in responses of 20% or more (P ≤ 0.025). Code status responses to LW-based scenarios evidenced a nonconsensus majority (79%-83%) that was significantly affected with VMs (≥12%, P ≤ 0.004); half evidenced large changes in resuscitation decisions (49%, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Document clarity, judged by consensus response, was rarely evidenced. video message/testimonial seems to be a helpful aid to both POLST and LWs. Standardized education and training reveal opportunities to improve patient safety to ensure patient wishes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Timothy E Cooney
- From the Department of Emergency Medicine, UPMC Hamot, Erie, Pennsylvania
| | - Kristin Juhasz
- From the Department of Emergency Medicine, UPMC Hamot, Erie, Pennsylvania
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Loffredo AJ, Chan GK, Wang DH, Goett R, Isaacs ED, Pearl R, Rosenberg M, Aberger K, Lamba S. United States Best Practice Guidelines for Primary Palliative Care in the Emergency Department. Ann Emerg Med 2021; 78:658-669. [PMID: 34353647 DOI: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2021.05.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Revised: 05/15/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The growing palliative care needs of emergency department (ED) patients in the United States have motivated the development of ED primary palliative care principles. An expert panel convened to develop best practice guidelines for ED primary palliative care to help guide frontline ED clinicians based on available evidence and consensus opinion of the panel. Results include recommendations for screening and assessment of palliative care needs, ED management of palliative care needs, goals of care conversations, ED palliative care and hospice consults, and transitions of care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony J Loffredo
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA.
| | - Garrett K Chan
- Department of Physiologic Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, CA
| | - David H Wang
- Division of Palliative Medicine, Scripps Health, San Diego, CA
| | - Rebecca Goett
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ
| | - Eric D Isaacs
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
| | - Rachel Pearl
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Mark Rosenberg
- Department of Emergency Medicine, St Joseph's Health, Paterson and Wayne, NJ
| | - Kate Aberger
- Division of Palliative Medicine and Geriatrics, St Joseph's Health, Paterson, NJ; Department of Emergency Medicine, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset, Somerville, NJ
| | - Sangeeta Lamba
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ
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7
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Kurin M, Mirarchi F. The living will: Patients should be informed of the risks. J Healthc Risk Manag 2021; 41:31-39. [PMID: 33496056 DOI: 10.1002/jhrm.21459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Revised: 12/13/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Living wills are designed to ensure that patients' preferences will be respected at the end of life should they lose capacity to make decisions. However, data on living will use suggest there are barriers to achieving this objective. Moreover, there is evidence that completion of a living will creates a risk of an unwanted outcome: the potential for premature withdrawal of interventions. We suggest a multifaceted approach to improve the ability of living wills to achieve their goals. However, acknowledgment of the current reality should oblige providers offering a living will to their patients to present a balanced view of living wills that includes enumeration of the risk, barriers to achieving the purported benefits, and alternatives to completing a living will, in addition to discussion of the potential benefits. This requires a change in current practice that would encourage shared decision making regarding whether completing a living will or other type of advance directive is desired by the patient and discourage the proliferation of living wills completed without providing these important advantages and disadvantages to the patient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Kurin
- Digestive Health Institute, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Ferdinando Mirarchi
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Hamot, Erie, Pennsylvania, USA
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8
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Mirarchi F, Juhasz K, Cooney T, Desiderio D. TRIAD XI: Utilizing simulation to evaluate the living will and POLST ability to achieve goal concordant care when critically ill or at end-of-life-The Realistic Interpretation of Advance Directives. J Healthc Risk Manag 2020; 41:22-30. [PMID: 33301646 DOI: 10.1002/jhrm.21453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Utilize simulation to evaluate if living wills (LW) or POLST achieves goal concordant Care (GCC) in a medical crisis. METHODS Nurses and resident-physicians from a single center were randomized to a clinical scenario with a living will (LW), physician orders for life sustaining treatment (POLST) or no document. Primary outcomes were resuscitation decision and time to decision. Secondary outcome was the effect of education. RESULTS Total enrollment was 57 and less than 30% received prior training. Types of directives were linked to resuscitation decisions (P = .019). Participants randomized to "No Document" or POLST specifying "CPR" performed resuscitation. If a terminal condition presented with a POLST/ do not resuscitate-comfort measures only (DNR-CMO), 73% resuscitated. The LW or POLST specifying DNR combined with medical support resulted in resuscitations in 29% or more of the scenarios. Documents did not significantly affect median time-to-decision (P = .402) but decisions for "No Document" and POLST/CPR were at least 10 s less than other scenarios. Scenarios involving POLST DNR/Limited Treatment had the highest median time of 43 s. Prior training in LWs and POLST exerted a 10% improvement in decision making (P = .537). CONCLUSION GCC was not always achieved with a LW or POLST. This conclusion supports prior research identifying problems with the interpretation and discordance with LW's and POLST.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kristin Juhasz
- Department of Emergency Medicine, UPMC Hamot, Erie, Pennsylvania
| | - Timothy Cooney
- Department of Emergency Medicine, UPMC Hamot, Erie, Pennsylvania
| | - Daniel Desiderio
- Department of Emergency Medicine, UPMC Hamot, Erie, Pennsylvania
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9
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Waldrop DP, Waldrop MR, McGinley JM, Crowley CR, Clemency B. Managing Death in the Field: Prehospital End-of-Life Care. J Pain Symptom Manage 2020; 60:709-716.e2. [PMID: 32437943 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2020.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2020] [Revised: 04/27/2020] [Accepted: 05/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
CONTEXT Historically, the focus of prehospital care has been life-saving treatment. In the absence of a nonhospital do-not-resuscitate (DNR) order, prehospital providers have been compelled to begin and continue resuscitation unless or until it was certain that the situation was futile; they have faced conflict when caregivers objected. OBJECTIVES The purpose of the study was to explore prehospital providers' perspectives on how legally binding documents (nonhospital DNR order/medical orders for life-sustaining treatment) informed end-of-life decision making and care. METHODS This exploratory study used mixed methods in a sequential nondominant two-stage convergent quantitative and qualitative design. Phase I involved the collection of survey data. Phase II involved in-person semistructured interviews. RESULTS Surveys were completed by 239 participants, and 50 follow-up interviews were conducted. Survey data suggested that 73.7% felt confident when there was a DNR order and they did not initiate resuscitation, and 58.2% felt confident working through family disagreement when cardiopulmonary resuscitation was requested but there was a DNR; 66.1% felt confident explaining the dying process when death was imminent, and 55.7% felt comfortable telling a family that a patient was dying. Four themes emerged: changing standards of care; eliminating false hope; transitioning care from patient to family; and transferring care after death. CONCLUSION Prehospital providers provide support and care when they tell families that someone has died. Being able to comfort and be present with acute grief on scene is an important and evolving role for prehospital providers who manage death in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deborah P Waldrop
- University at Buffalo School of Social Work, Buffalo, New York, USA.
| | - Michael R Waldrop
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Albany Medical Center, Albany, New York, USA
| | - Jacqueline M McGinley
- Department of Social Work, Binghamton University, College of Community & Public Affairs, Binghamton, New York, USA
| | | | - Brian Clemency
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA
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Advance Care Planning (ACP) vs. Advance Serious Illness Preparations and Planning (ASIPP). Healthcare (Basel) 2020; 8:healthcare8030218. [PMID: 32708449 PMCID: PMC7551637 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare8030218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Revised: 07/07/2020] [Accepted: 07/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
COVID-19 has highlighted the reality of an impending serious illness for many, particularly for older persons. Those faced with severe COVID-19 infection or other serious illness will be faced with decisions regarding admission to intensive care and use of mechanical ventilation. Past research has documented substantial medical errors regarding the use or non-use of life-sustaining treatments in older persons. While some experts advocate that advance care planning may be a solution to the problem, I argue that the prevailing understanding and current practice of advance care planning perpetuates the problem and results in patients not receiving optimal patient-centered care. Much of the problem centers on the framing of advance care planning around end of life care, the lack of use of decision support tools, and inadequate language that does not support shared decision-making. I posit that a new approach and new terminology is needed. Advance Serious Illness Preparations and Planning (ASIPP) consists of discrete steps using evidence-based tools to prepare people for future clinical decision-making in the context of shared decision-making and informed consent. Existing tools to support this approach have been developed and validated. Further dissemination of these tools is warranted.
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Curtis JR, Mirarchi FL. The Importance of Clarity for Hospital Code Status Orders: Challenges and Opportunities. Chest 2020; 158:21-23. [PMID: 32654704 DOI: 10.1016/j.chest.2020.02.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2020] [Accepted: 02/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- J Randall Curtis
- Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence, University of Washington, Seattle, WA; Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA.
| | - Ferdinando L Mirarchi
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Hamot, Erie, PA
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12
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Zaeh SE, Hayes MM, Eakin MN, Rand CS, Turnbull AE. Housestaff perceptions on training and discussing the Maryland Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment Form (MOLST). PLoS One 2020; 15:e0234973. [PMID: 32559244 PMCID: PMC7304571 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0234973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2019] [Accepted: 06/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background On-line tutorials are being increasingly used in medical education, including in teaching housestaff skills regarding end of life care. Recently an on-line tutorial incorporating interactive clinical vignettes and communication skills was used to prepare housestaff at Johns Hopkins Hospital to use the Maryland Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment (MOLST) form, which documents patient preferences regarding end of life care. 40% of housestaff who viewed the module felt less than comfortable discussing choices on the MOLST with patients. We sought to understand factors beyond knowledge that contributed to housestaff discomfort in MOLST discussions despite successfully completing an on-line tutorial. Methods We conducted semi-structured telephone interviews with 18 housestaff who completed the on-line MOLST training module. Housestaff participants demonstrated good knowledge of legal and regulatory issues related to the MOLST compared to their peers, but reported feeling less than comfortable discussing the MOLST with patients. Transcripts of interviews were coded using thematic analysis to describe barriers to using the MOLST and suggestions for improving housestaff education about end of life care discussions. Results Qualitative analysis showed three major factors contributing to lack of housestaff comfort completing the MOLST form: [1] physician barriers to completion of the MOLST, [2] perceived patient barriers to completion of the MOLST, and [3] design characteristics of the MOLST form. Housestaff recommended a number of adaptations for improvement, including in-person training to improve their skills conducting conversations regarding end of life preferences with patients. Conclusions Some housestaff who scored highly on knowledge tests after completing a formal on-line curriculum on the MOLST form reported barriers to using a mandated form despite receiving training. On-line modules may be insufficient for teaching communication skills to housestaff. Additional training opportunities including in-person training mechanisms should be incorporated into housestaff communication skills training related to end of life care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra E. Zaeh
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Margaret M. Hayes
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Shapiro Institute for Education and Research at Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Michelle N. Eakin
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Cynthia S. Rand
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Alison E. Turnbull
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Outcomes After Critical Illness and Surgery (OACIS) Group, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
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13
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Levy C, Ersek M, Scott W, Carpenter JG, Kononowech J, Phibbs C, Lowry J, Cohen J, Foglia M. Life-Sustaining Treatment Decisions Initiative: Early Implementation Results of a National Veterans Affairs Program to Honor Veterans' Care Preferences. J Gen Intern Med 2020; 35:1803-1812. [PMID: 32096084 PMCID: PMC7280392 DOI: 10.1007/s11606-020-05697-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2019] [Accepted: 01/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND On July 1, 2018, the Veterans Health Administration (VA) National Center for Ethics in Health Care implemented the Life-Sustaining Treatment Decisions Initiative (LSTDI). Its goal is to identify, document, and honor LST decisions of seriously ill veterans. Providers document veterans' goals and decisions using a standardized LST template and order set. OBJECTIVE Evaluate the first 7 months of LSTDI implementation and identify predictors of LST template completion. DESIGN Retrospective observational study of clinical and administrative data. We identified all completed LST templates, defined as completion of four required template fields. Templates also include four non-required fields. Results were stratified by risk of hospitalization or death as estimated by the Care Assessment Need (CAN) score. SUBJECTS All veterans with VA utilization between July 1, 2018, and January 31, 2019. MAIN MEASURES Completed LST templates, goals and LST preferences, and predictors of documentation. RESULTS LST templates were documented for 108,145 veterans, and 85% had one or more of the non-required fields completed in addition to the required fields. Approximately half documented a preference for cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Among those who documented specific goals, half wanted to improve or maintain function, independence, and quality of life while 28% had a goal of life prolongation irrespective of risk of hospitalization/death and 45% expressed a goal of comfort. Only 7% expressed a goal of being cured. Predictors of documentation included VA nursing home residence, older age, frailty, and comorbidity, while non-Caucasian race, rural residence, and receipt of care in a lower complexity medical center were predictive of no documentation. CONCLUSIONS LST decisions were documented for veterans at high risk of hospitalization or death. While few expressed a preference for cure, half desire, cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Predictors of documentation were generally consistent with existing literature. Opportunities to reduce observed disparities exist by leveraging available VA resources and programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cari Levy
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Rocky Mountain VA Medical Center, Aurora, CO, USA.
- Division of Health Care Policy and Research, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA.
| | - Mary Ersek
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - Joan G Carpenter
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jennifer Kononowech
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Ann Arbor Center for Clinical Management Research, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | | | - Jill Lowry
- Department of Veterans Affairs, National Center for Ethics in Health Care, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Jennifer Cohen
- Department of Veterans Affairs, National Center for Ethics in Health Care, Washington, DC, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington School of Public Health, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Marybeth Foglia
- Department of Veterans Affairs, National Center for Ethics in Health Care, Washington, DC, USA
- Department of Bioethics and Humanities, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
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14
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Heyland DK, Heyland R, Bailey A, Howard M. A novel decision aid to help plan for serious illness: a multisite randomized trial. CMAJ Open 2020; 8:E289-E296. [PMID: 32345707 PMCID: PMC7207027 DOI: 10.9778/cmajo.20190179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent studies have shown substantial deficiencies in the quality or quantity (or both) of communication and decision-making during serious illness. We evaluated the efficacy of a novel decision support intervention, the Plan Well Guide, in increasing completion of a standard medical order form for advance medical care planning and improving decisional outcomes in nonacademic primary care settings. METHODS We conducted a randomized trial in 3 primary care practices in Lethbridge, Alberta in 2017-2018. We recruited "patients at high risk" referred by the primary care doctor who required establishment or review of their Goals of Care Designation (GCD). Enrolled patients were randomly allocated to receive the Plan Well Guide, delivered by a trained facilitator, or usual care. Eight to 12 weeks after the intervention, a research assistant blinded to intervention assignment contacted the patients in both groups by telephone to do a final outcome assessment. The primary outcome was completion of GCD forms; secondary outcomes included decisional conflict scores and ratings of satisfaction. RESULTS A total of 123 patients (59 women [48.0%]; mean age 73.9 yr) were enrolled, 66 in the intervention arm and 57 in the usualcare arm; 119 patients completed the trial. After the intervention, GCD completion rates in the intervention and usual-care groups were 95.3% and 90.9%, respectively (risk difference [RD] 4%, 95% confidence interval [CI] -14% to 22%), and the rate of concordance between medical orders and expressed preferences on follow-up was 78% and 66%, respectively (RD 12%, 95% CI -7% to 30%). Significantly fewer patients in the intervention group than in the usual-care group had written medical orders for intensive care unit care and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (22 [34%] v. 33 [60%], RD -26%, 95% CI -42% to -8%). Patients in the intervention group had lower decisional conflict scores than those in the usual-care group (mean 30.9 v. 43.1, adjusted mean difference -12.0, 95% CI -23.2 to -0.8). Physicians considered patients in the intervention group to have lower decisional conflict than those in the usual-care group, although not significantly so (mean score 10.4 v. 14.9, adjusted mean difference -4.7, 95% CI -9.9 to 0.4) and spent less time with the former (mean 9.7 v. 13.2 min, adjusted mean difference -3.5, 95% CI -5.5 to -1.5 min). INTERPRETATION The decision-support intervention did not increase GCD completion rates but did seem to improve some aspects of decisional quality while reducing the physician's time to accomplish GCD decisions. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, no. NCT01297946.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daren K Heyland
- Department of Critical Care Medicine (D. Heyland), Kingston General Hospital; Department of Public Health Sciences (D. Heyland), Queen's University; Clinical Evaluation Research Unit (D. Heyland, R. Heyland), Kingston General Hospital, Kingston, Ont.; Bigelow Fowler Clinic (Bailey), Lethbridge, Alta.; Department of Family Medicine (Howard), McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont.
| | - Rebecca Heyland
- Department of Critical Care Medicine (D. Heyland), Kingston General Hospital; Department of Public Health Sciences (D. Heyland), Queen's University; Clinical Evaluation Research Unit (D. Heyland, R. Heyland), Kingston General Hospital, Kingston, Ont.; Bigelow Fowler Clinic (Bailey), Lethbridge, Alta.; Department of Family Medicine (Howard), McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont
| | - Alice Bailey
- Department of Critical Care Medicine (D. Heyland), Kingston General Hospital; Department of Public Health Sciences (D. Heyland), Queen's University; Clinical Evaluation Research Unit (D. Heyland, R. Heyland), Kingston General Hospital, Kingston, Ont.; Bigelow Fowler Clinic (Bailey), Lethbridge, Alta.; Department of Family Medicine (Howard), McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont
| | - Michelle Howard
- Department of Critical Care Medicine (D. Heyland), Kingston General Hospital; Department of Public Health Sciences (D. Heyland), Queen's University; Clinical Evaluation Research Unit (D. Heyland, R. Heyland), Kingston General Hospital, Kingston, Ont.; Bigelow Fowler Clinic (Bailey), Lethbridge, Alta.; Department of Family Medicine (Howard), McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont
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Wang DH, Kuntz J, Aberger K, DeSandre P. Top Ten Tips Palliative Care Clinicians Should Know About Caring for Patients in the Emergency Department. J Palliat Med 2019; 22:1597-1602. [DOI: 10.1089/jpm.2019.0251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- David H. Wang
- Division of Palliative Medicine, Scripps Health, San Diego, California
| | - Joanne Kuntz
- Department of Emergency Medicine and Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
- Department of Internal Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Kate Aberger
- Division of Palliative Medicine and Geriatrics, St. Joseph's Health, Paterson, New Jersey
| | - Paul DeSandre
- Department of Emergency Medicine and Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
- Department of Internal Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
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Meisenberg B, Zaidi S, Franks L, Moller D, Mooradian D. Discrepant Advanced Directives and Code Status Orders: A Preventable Medical Error. J Hosp Med 2019; 14:716-718. [PMID: 31339837 DOI: 10.12788/jhm.3244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The United States health system has been criticized
for its overuse of aggressive and medically ineffective
life-sustaining therapies (LST).1 Some professional societies
have elevated dialog about end-of-life (EOL)
care to a quality measure,2 expecting that more open discussion
will achieve more “goal-concordant care”3 and appropriate
use of LST. However, even when Advanced Directives (AD)
or Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Therapy (POLST) have
been created, their directions are not always followed in the
hospital. This perspective discusses how preventable errors
allow for use of LST even when patients designated it as unwanted.
Two cases, chosen from several similar ones, are highlighted,
demonstrating both human and system errors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barry Meisenberg
- Department of Medicine, Anne Arundel Medical Center, Annapolis, Maryland
| | - Sohail Zaidi
- Department of Surgery, Anne Arundel Medical Center, Annapolis, Maryland
| | - Lori Franks
- Department of Medicine, Anne Arundel Medical Center, Annapolis, Maryland
| | - David Moller
- Department of Medicine, Anne Arundel Medical Center, Annapolis, Maryland
| | - David Mooradian
- Department of Medicine, Anne Arundel Medical Center, Annapolis, Maryland
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Mirarchi FL, Juhasz K, Cooney TE, Puller J, Kordes T, Weissert L, Lewis ML, Intrieri B, Cook N. TRIAD XII: Are Patients Aware of and Agree With DNR or POLST Orders in Their Medical Records. J Patient Saf 2019; 15:230-237. [PMID: 31449196 PMCID: PMC6728055 DOI: 10.1097/pts.0000000000000631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aim of the study was to determine (1) whether do-not-resuscitate (DNR) orders created upon hospital admission or Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) are consistent patient preferences for treatment and (2) patient/health care agent (HCA) awareness and agreement of these orders. METHODS We identified patients with DNR and/or POLST orders after hospital admission from September 1, 2017, to September 30, 2018, documented demographics, relevant medical information, evaluated frailty, and interviewed the patient and when indicated the HCA. RESULTS Of 114 eligible cases, 101 met inclusion criteria. Patients on average were 76 years old, 55% were female, and most white (85%). Physicians (85%) commonly created the orders. A living will was present in the record for 22% of cases and a POLST in 8%. The median frailty score of "4" (interquartile range = 2.5) suggested patients who require minimal assistance. Thirty percent of patients requested cardiopulmonary resuscitation and 63% wanted a trial attempt of aggressive treatment if in improvement is deemed likely. In 25% of the cases, patients/HCAs were unaware of the DNR order, 50% were unsure of their prognosis, and another 40% felt their condition was not terminal. Overall, 44% of the time, the existing DNR, and POLST were discordant with patient wishes and 38% were rescinded. Of the 6% not rescinded, further clarifications were required. Discordant orders were associated with younger, slightly less-frail patients. CONCLUSIONS Do-not-resuscitate and POLST orders can often be inaccurate, undisclosed, and discordant with patient wishes for medical care. Patient safety and quality initiatives should be adopted to prevent medical errors.
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A Scoping Review of Physicians' Clinical Reasoning in Emergency Departments. Ann Emerg Med 2019; 75:206-217. [PMID: 31474478 DOI: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2019.06.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2019] [Revised: 06/11/2019] [Accepted: 06/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
STUDY OBJECTIVE Clinical reasoning is considered a core competency of physicians. Yet there is a paucity of research on clinical reasoning specifically in emergency medicine, as highlighted in the literature. METHODS We conducted a scoping review to examine the state of research on clinical reasoning in this specialty. Our team, composed of content and methodological experts, identified 3,763 articles in the literature, 95 of which were included. RESULTS Most studies were published after 2000. Few studies focused on the cognitive processes involved in decisionmaking (ie, clinical reasoning). Of these, many confirmed findings from the general literature on clinical reasoning; specifically, the role of both intuitive and analytic processes. We categorized factors that influence decisionmaking into contextual, patient, and physician factors. Many studies focused on decisions in regard to investigations and admission. Test ordering is influenced by physicians' experience, fear of litigation, and concerns about malpractice. Fear of litigation and malpractice also increases physicians' propensity to admit patients. Context influences reasoning but findings pertaining to specific factors, such as patient flow and workload, were inconsistent. CONCLUSION Many studies used designs such as descriptive or correlational methods, limiting the strength of findings. Many gray areas persist, in which studies are either scarce or yield conflicting results. The findings of this scoping review should encourage us to intensify research in the field of emergency physicians' clinical reasoning, particularly on the cognitive processes at play and the factors influencing them, using appropriate theoretical frameworks and more robust methods.
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The Association of Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment With Intensity of Treatment Among Patients Presenting to the Emergency Department. Ann Emerg Med 2019; 75:171-180. [PMID: 31248675 DOI: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2019.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2019] [Revised: 04/15/2019] [Accepted: 05/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
STUDY OBJECTIVE Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) forms are intended to help prevent the provision of unwanted medical interventions among patients with advanced illness or frailty who are approaching the end of life. We seek to evaluate how POLST form completion, treatment limitations, or both influence intensity of treatment among patients who present to the emergency department (ED). METHODS This was a retrospective cohort study of adults who presented to the ED at an academic medical center in Oregon between April 2015 and October 2016. POLST form completion and treatment limitations were the main exposures. Primary outcome was hospital admission; secondary outcomes included ICU admission and a composite measure of aggressive treatment. RESULTS A total of 26,128 patients were included; 1,769 (6.8%) had completed POLST forms. Among patients with POLST, 52.1% had full treatment orders, and 6.4% had their forms accessed before admission. POLST form completion was not associated with hospital admission (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]=0.97; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.84 to 1.12), ICU admission (aOR=0.82; 95% CI 0.55 to 1.22), or aggressive treatment (aOR=1.06; 95% CI 0.75 to 1.51). Compared with POLST forms with full treatment orders, those with treatment limitations were not associated with hospital admission (aOR=1.12; 95% CI 0.92 to 1.37) or aggressive treatment (aOR=0.87; 95% CI 0.5 to 1.52), but were associated with lower odds of ICU admission (aOR=0.31; 95% CI 0.16 to 0.61). CONCLUSION Among patients presenting to the ED with POLST, the majority of POLST forms had orders for full treatment and were not accessed by emergency providers. These findings may partially explain why we found no association of POLST with treatment intensity. However, treatment limitations on POLST forms were associated with reduced odds of ICU admission. Implementation and accessibility of POLST forms are crucial when considering their effect on the provision of treatment consistent with patients' preferences.
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Turnbull AE, Ning X, Rao A, Tao JJ, Needham DM. Demonstrating the impact of POLST forms on hospital care requires information not contained in state registries. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0217113. [PMID: 31211788 PMCID: PMC6581427 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0217113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2019] [Accepted: 04/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) programs have expanded rapidly, but evaluating their impact on hospital care is challenging. Objectives To demonstrate how careful study design can reveal POLST’s impact at hospital admission and why analyses of state registry data are unlikely to capture POLST’s effects. Design Prospective cohort study. Setting and participants Adult in-patients with Do Not Intubate and/or Do Not Resuscitate (DNR/I) orders in the electronic medical record at the time of discharge from Johns Hopkins Hospital over 18 months. For patients with unplanned readmissions within 30 days, records were reviewed to determine if a Maryland Medical Order for Life-Sustaining Treatment (MOLST) form was presented and for the time from readmission to a DNR/I order in the EMR. Analyses were stratified by whether patients could communicate or were accompanied by a proxy at readmission. Results Among 1,507 patients with DNR/I orders at discharge, 124 (8%) had unplanned readmissions, 112 (90%) could communicate or were accompanied by a proxy at readmission, and 12 (10%) could not communicate and were unaccompanied. For patients who were unaccompanied and could not communicate, MOLST significantly decreased the median time from readmission to DNR/I order (1.2 vs 27.1 hours, P = .001), but this association was greatly attenuated among patients who could communicate or were accompanied by a proxy (16.4 vs 25.4 hours P = .10). Conclusion Among patients who wanted to avoid intubation and/or CPR, MOLST forms were protective when the patient was unaccompanied by a healthcare proxy at admission and could not communicate. Fewer than 10% of patients met these criteria during unplanned readmissions, and state registry data does not allow this sub-population to be identified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison E. Turnbull
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Johns Hopkins University, Outcomes After Critical Illness and Surgery Group (OACIS), Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Xuejuan Ning
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Anirudh Rao
- Medstar Washington Hospital, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Jessica J. Tao
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Dale M. Needham
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Johns Hopkins University, Outcomes After Critical Illness and Surgery Group (OACIS), Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Tattoos and medallions are examples of nonstandard do-not-resuscitate (DNR) orders that some people use to convey end-of-life wishes. These DNR orders are neither universally accepted nor understood for reasons discussed within this manuscript. RECENT FINDINGS Studies show both providers and patients confuse the meaning and implication of DNR orders. In the United States, out-of-hospital DNR orders are legislated at the state level. Most states standardized out-of-hospital DNR orders so caregivers can immediately recognize and accept the order and act on its behalf. These out-of-hospital orders are complicated by the need to be printed on paper that does not always accompany the individual. Oregon created an online system whereby individuals recorded their end-of-life wishes that medical personnel can access with an Internet connection. This system improved communication of end-of-life wishes in patients who selected comfort care only. SUMMARY To improve conveyance of an individual's wishes for end-of-life care, the authors discuss nationwide adoption of Oregon's online registry where a person's account could comprehensively document end-of-life wishes, be universally available in all healthcare institutions, and be searchable by common patient identifiers. Facial recognition software could identify unconscious patients who present without identification.
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Abbott J. The POLST Paradox: Opportunities and Challenges in Honoring Patient End-of-Life Wishes in the Emergency Department. Ann Emerg Med 2018; 73:294-301. [PMID: 30503382 DOI: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2018.10.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2018] [Revised: 10/06/2018] [Accepted: 10/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment forms convert patient wishes into physician orders to direct care patients receive near the end of life. Recent evidence of the challenges and opportunities for honoring patient end-of-life wishes in the emergency department (ED) is presented. The forms can be very helpful in directing whether cardiopulmonary resuscitation and intubation are desired in the first few minutes of a patient's presentation. After initial stabilization, understanding the intent of end-of-life orders and the scope of further interventions requires discussion with the patient or a surrogate. The emergency medicine provider must be committed both to honoring initial resuscitation orders and to the conversations required to narrow the gap between ED care and patient wishes so that people receive care best aligned with their wishes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean Abbott
- Center for Bioethics and Humanities, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO.
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Waldrop DP, McGinley JM, Dailey MW, Clemency B. Decision-Making in the Moments Before Death: Challenges in Prehospital Care. PREHOSP EMERG CARE 2018; 23:356-363. [DOI: 10.1080/10903127.2018.1518504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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Stream S, Nolan A, Kwon S, Constable C. Factors associated with combined do-not-resuscitate and do-not-intubate orders: A retrospective chart review at an urban tertiary care center. Resuscitation 2018; 130:1-5. [PMID: 29935341 DOI: 10.1016/j.resuscitation.2018.06.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2017] [Revised: 06/09/2018] [Accepted: 06/18/2018] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In clinical practice, do-not-intubate (DNI) orders are generally accompanied by do-not-resuscitate (DNR) orders. Use of do-not-resuscitate (DNR) orders is associated with older patient age, more comorbid conditions, and the withholding of treatments outside of the cardiac arrest setting. Previous studies have not unpacked the factors independently associated with DNI orders. OBJECTIVE To compare factors associated with combined DNR/DNI orders versus isolated DNR orders, as a means of elucidating factors associated with the addition of DNI orders. DESIGN Retrospective chart review. SETTING/SUBJECTS Patients who died on a General Medicine or MICU service (n = 197) at an urban public hospital over a 2-year period. MEASUREMENTS Logistic regression was used to identify demographic and medical data associated with code status. RESULTS Compared with DNR orders alone, DNR/DNI orders were associated with a higher median Charlson Comorbidity Index (odds ratio [OR] 1.27, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.13-1.43); older age (OR 1.02, 95% CI 1.01-1.04); malignancy (OR 2.27, 95% CI 1.18-4.37); and female sex (OR 1.98, 95% CI 1.02-3.87). In the last 3 days of life, they were associated with morphine administration (OR 2.76, 95% CI 1.43-5.33); and negatively associated with use of vasopressors/inotropes (OR 10.99, 95% CI 4.83-25.00). CONCLUSIONS Compared with DNR orders alone, combined DNR/DNI orders are more strongly associated with many of the same factors that have been linked to DNR orders. Awareness of the extent to which the two directives may be conflated during code status discussions is needed to promote patient-centered application of these interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Stream
- New York University Internal Medicine Residency Program, NY, United States
| | - Anna Nolan
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, NY, United States; Division of Ethics, Department of Population Health, New York University School of Medicine, NY, United States
| | - Sophia Kwon
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, NY, United States
| | - Catherine Constable
- Division of Ethics, Department of Population Health, New York University School of Medicine, NY, United States; Department of Medicine, New York University Langone Medical Center, NY, United States.
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Reversals and limitations on high-intensity, life-sustaining treatments. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0190569. [PMID: 29489814 PMCID: PMC5830043 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0190569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2016] [Accepted: 12/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Importance Critically ill patients often receive high-intensity life sustaining treatments (LST) in the intensive care unit (ICU), although they can be ineffective and eventually undesired. Determining the risk factors associated with reversals in LST goals can improve patient and provider appreciation for the natural history and epidemiology of critical care and inform decision making around the (continued) use of LSTs. Methods This is a single institution retrospective cohort study of patients receiving life sustaining treatment in an academic tertiary hospital from 2009 to 2013. Deidentified patient electronic medical record data was collected via the clinical data warehouse to study the outcomes of treatment limiting Comfort Care and do-not-resuscitate (DNR) orders. Extended multivariable Cox regression models were used to estimate the association of patient and clinical factors with subsequent treatment limiting orders. Results 10,157 patients received life-sustaining treatment while initially Full Code (allowing all resuscitative measures). Of these, 770 (8.0%) transitioned to Comfort Care (with discontinuation of any life-sustaining treatments) while 1,669 (16%) patients received new DNR orders that reflect preferences to limit further life-sustaining treatment options. Patients who were older (Hazard Ratio(HR) 1.37 [95% CI 1.28–1.47] per decade), with cerebrovascular disease (HR 2.18 [95% CI 1.69–2.81]), treated by the Medical ICU (HR 1.92 [95% CI 1.49–2.49]) and Hematology-Oncology (HR 1.87 [95% CI 1.27–2.74]) services, receiving vasoactive infusions (HR 1.76 [95% CI 1.28, 2.43]) or continuous renal replacement (HR 1.83 [95% CI 1.34, 2.48]) were more likely to transition to Comfort Care. Any new DNR orders were more likely for patients who were older (HR 1.43 [95% CI 1.38–1.48] per decade), female (HR 1.30 [95% CI 1.17–1.44]), with cerebrovascular disease (HR 1.45 [95% CI 1.25–1.67]) or metastatic solid cancers (HR 1.92 [95% CI 1.48–2.49]), or treated by Medical ICU (HR 1.63 [95% CI 1.42–1.86]), Hematology-Oncology (HR 1.63 [95% CI 1.33–1.98]) and Cardiac Care Unit-Heart Failure (HR 1.41 [95% CI 1.15–1.72]). Conclusion Decisions to reverse or limit treatment goals occurs after more than 1 in 13 trials of LST, and is associated with older female patients, receiving non-ventilator forms of LST, cerebrovascular disease, and treatment by certain medical specialty services.
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Abstract
AbstractEthical dilemmas can create moral distress in even the most experienced emergency physicians (EPs). Following reasonable and justified approaches can help alleviate such distress. The purpose of this article is to guide EPs providing Emergency Medical Services (EMS) direction to navigate through common ethical issues confronted in the prehospital delivery of care, including protecting privacy and confidentiality, decision-making capacity and refusal of treatment, withholding of treatment, and termination of resuscitation (TOR). This requires a strong foundation in the principles and theories underlying sound ethical decisions that EPs and prehospital providers make every day in good faith, but will now also make with more awareness and conscientiousness.BrennerJM, AsweganAL, VearrierLE, BasfordJB, IsersonKV. The ethics of real-time EMS direction: suggested curricular content. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018;33(2):201–212.
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Waldrop DP, McGinley JM, Clemency B. The Nexus Between the Documentation of End-of-Life Wishes and Awareness of Dying: A Model for Research, Education and Care. J Pain Symptom Manage 2018; 55:522-529. [PMID: 28919539 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2017.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2017] [Revised: 09/07/2017] [Accepted: 09/07/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
The convergence of medical treatment that can extend life with written medical orders that make it possible to refuse such treatment brings the differential dynamics of contemporary end-of-life decision making into sharp focus. Communication between families and clinicians can be confusing, uncertain, and pressured when death is imminent. These situations create distress that ultimately influences the end-of-life experience for people who are dying and those who care for them. This article presents the analysis of the decisional dynamics that emerge from the intersection of the patient-family-provider awareness that death is near with the presence or absence of documentation of expressed wishes for end-of-life care. A heuristic analysis was conducted with data from three studies about urgent decision making at the end of life. Original study data included 395 surveys, in-depth interviews with 91 prehospital (paramedics and emergency medical technicians), and content analysis of 100 Medical Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment forms that led to the development of an overarching conceptual model of decision making. Four decisional contexts emerged from the intersection of awareness of dying and documentation of wishes: 1) Aware Documented, 2) Aware Undocumented, 3) Unaware Documented, and 4) Unaware Undocumented. This generalizable model, which is agnostic of setting, can help clinicians more astutely recognize the clinical situation when death is imminent, assess patients and caregivers, and intervene to help focus conversation and direct decision making. The model can also inform research, education, and care for people in some of the most vulnerable moments of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deborah P Waldrop
- University at Buffalo School of Social Work, Buffalo, New York, USA.
| | | | - Brian Clemency
- Emergency Medicine Department, Erie County Medical Center, Buffalo, New York, USA
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Interactive Online Module Failed to Improve Sustained Knowledge of the Maryland Medical Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment Form. Ann Am Thorac Soc 2018; 13:926-32. [PMID: 26967023 DOI: 10.1513/annalsats.201511-738oc] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
RATIONALE Legal documents similar to the Maryland Medical Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (MOLST) form requiring physician endorsement are increasingly used by critically ill patients. OBJECTIVES To evaluate whether an interactive, online training module on completion and interpretation of the MOLST form leads to a sustained increase in knowledge among house staff. METHODS Pre/post survey of 329 house staff at Johns Hopkins Hospital who admit and discharge patients between June 2014 and July 2015. House staff were encouraged to complete a voluntary, interactive, online educational module on completing and interpreting MOLST forms. Participants received $25 for accessing the module and $10 for completing each survey. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS The primary outcome was the change in the number of questions answered correctly on the post- versus presurvey comparing house staff who viewed the module for at least 20 minutes with house staff who never viewed or never completed the module. Overall, 329 (69%) house staff completed the knowledge assessment survey both before and after the module was available, and 201 (61%) of these house staff completed the voluntary module. The median score on the presurvey conducted in July and August of 2014 was 14 out of 21 (interquartile range [IQR] 12, 16). The median (IQR) score on the postsurvey conducted in May and June of 2015 was 15 out of 21 (13, 17). The median (IQR) change in score among those who spent at least 20 minutes completing the module was 1 question (-1, 3), and among those who never viewed or never completed the module it was also 1 (IQR -1, 2). The postsurvey was completed a median (IQR) of 59 (52, 62) days after viewing the module. After adjusting for years of postgraduate clinical training, self-reported baseline experience completing MOLST forms, and self-reported responsibility for discharging patients, viewing the module for at least 20 minutes was associated with a nonsignificant increase in score of 0.41 questions (95% confidence interval, -0.25, 1.06; P = 0.23). CONCLUSIONS An interactive, online educational module had no effect on trainee knowledge of completing and interpreting MOLST forms approximately 2 months after completion. Information conveyed via online modules alone may have minimal sustained impact on house staff knowledge.
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TRIAD VIII: Nationwide Multicenter Evaluation to Determine Whether Patient Video Testimonials Can Safely Help Ensure Appropriate Critical Versus End-of-Life Care. J Patient Saf 2017; 13:51-61. [PMID: 28198722 DOI: 10.1097/pts.0000000000000357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE End-of-life interventions should be predicated on consensus understanding of patient wishes. Written documents are not always understood; adding a video testimonial/message (VM) might improve clarity. Goals of this study were to (1) determine baseline rates of consensus in assigning code status and resuscitation decisions in critically ill scenarios and (2) determine whether adding a VM increases consensus. METHODS We randomly assigned 2 web-based survey links to 1366 faculty and resident physicians at institutions with graduate medical education programs in emergency medicine, family practice, and internal medicine. Each survey asked for code status interpretation of stand-alone Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) and living will (LW) documents in 9 scenarios. Respondents assigned code status and resuscitation decisions to each scenario. For 1 of 2 surveys, a VM was included to help clarify patient wishes. RESULTS Response rate was 54%, and most were male emergency physicians who lacked formal advanced planning document interpretation training. Consensus was not achievable for stand-alone POLST or LW documents (68%-78% noted "DNR"). Two of 9 scenarios attained consensus for code status (97%-98% responses) and treatment decisions (96%-99%). Adding a VM significantly changed code status responses by 9% to 62% (P ≤ 0.026) in 7 of 9 scenarios with 4 achieving consensus. Resuscitation responses changed by 7% to 57% (P ≤ 0.005) with 4 of 9 achieving consensus with VMs. CONCLUSIONS For most scenarios, consensus was not attained for code status and resuscitation decisions with stand-alone LW and POLST documents. Adding VMs produced significant impacts toward achieving interpretive consensus.
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Tarzian AJ, Cheevers NB. Maryland's Medical Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment Form Use: Reports of a Statewide Survey. J Palliat Med 2017; 20:939-945. [DOI: 10.1089/jpm.2016.0440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Anita J. Tarzian
- Department of Family and Community Health, University of Maryland School of Nursing, Baltimore, Maryland
- Maryland Healthcare Ethics Committee Network, University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Nadia B. Cheevers
- Law and Health Care Program, University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law, Baltimore, Maryland
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Failure of the Current Advance Care Planning Paradigm: Advocating for a Communications-Based Approach. HEC Forum 2017; 28:339-354. [PMID: 27392597 DOI: 10.1007/s10730-016-9305-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The purpose of advance care planning (ACP) is to allow an individual to maintain autonomy in end-of-life (EOL) medical decision-making even when incapacitated by disease or terminal illness. The intersection of EOL medical technology, ethics of EOL care, and state and federal law has driven the development of the legal framework for advance directives (ADs). However, from an ethical perspective the current legal framework is inadequate to make ADs an effective EOL planning tool. One response to this flawed AD process has been the development of Physician Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment (POLST). POLST has been described as a paradigm shift to address the inadequacies of ADs. However, POLST has failed to bridge the gap between patients and their autonomous, preferred EOL care decisions. Analysis of ADs and POLST reveals that future policy should focus on a communications-based approach to ACP that emphasizes ongoing interactions between healthcare providers and patients to optimize EOL medical care to the individual patient.
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Wang DH. Beyond Code Status: Palliative Care Begins in the Emergency Department. Ann Emerg Med 2017; 69:437-443. [DOI: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2016.10.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Clemency BM, Basior JM, Lindstrom HA, Cordes CC, Waldrop DP. The Realities of Operationalizing MOLST Forms in Emergency Situations. J Am Med Dir Assoc 2017; 18:184-186. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jamda.2016.11.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2016] [Accepted: 11/29/2016] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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Abbott J. Understanding What People Intend: Is It Possible From Written Advance Directives? J Am Med Dir Assoc 2017; 18:10-11. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jamda.2016.10.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2016] [Accepted: 10/31/2016] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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Shetty G, Sanchez JA, Lancaster JM, Wilson LE, Quinn GP, Schabath MB. Oncology healthcare providers' knowledge, attitudes, and practice behaviors regarding LGBT health. PATIENT EDUCATION AND COUNSELING 2016; 99:1676-84. [PMID: 27161166 PMCID: PMC5527558 DOI: 10.1016/j.pec.2016.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2015] [Revised: 04/06/2016] [Accepted: 05/01/2016] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE There are limited data on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) healthcare experiences and interactions with the providers. This study assessed knowledge, attitudes, and practice behaviors of oncology providers regarding LGBT health. METHODS A 32-item web-based survey was emailed to 388 oncology providers at a single institution. The survey assessed: demographics, knowledge, attitudes, and practice behaviors. RESULTS 108 providers participated in the survey (28% response rate). <50% answered knowledge questions correctly. 94% stated they were comfortable treating this population. 26% actively inquired about a patient's sexual orientation when taking a history. 36% felt the need for mandatory education on LGBT cultural competency at the institution. Results from the open comments section identified multiple misconceptions. CONCLUSION This study revealed knowledge gaps about LGBT health risks. Cultural competency training may aid oncology providers to understand the need to inquire about patients' gender identity and sexual orientation. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS Health care providers who incorporate the routine collection of gender identity and sexual orientation (SOGI) in their patient history taking may improve patient care by offering tailored education and referrals. While identifying as LGBT does not in itself increase risk for adverse health outcomes, this population tends to have increased risk behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gina Shetty
- University of South Florida, Morsani College of Medicine, 12901 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. Tampa, FL 33612, United States.
| | - Julian A Sanchez
- University of South Florida, Morsani College of Medicine, 12901 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. Tampa, FL 33612, United States; H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, 12902 Magnolia Dr. Tampa, FL 33612, United States.
| | - Johnathan M Lancaster
- H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, 12902 Magnolia Dr. Tampa, FL 33612, United States.
| | - Lauren E Wilson
- H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, 12902 Magnolia Dr. Tampa, FL 33612, United States.
| | - Gwendolyn P Quinn
- University of South Florida, Morsani College of Medicine, 12901 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. Tampa, FL 33612, United States; H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, 12902 Magnolia Dr. Tampa, FL 33612, United States.
| | - Matthew B Schabath
- University of South Florida, Morsani College of Medicine, 12901 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. Tampa, FL 33612, United States; H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, 12902 Magnolia Dr. Tampa, FL 33612, United States.
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Arendts G, Carpenter CR, Hullick C, Burkett E, Nagaraj G, Rogers IR. Approach to death in the older emergency department patient. Emerg Med Australas 2016; 28:730-734. [DOI: 10.1111/1742-6723.12678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2016] [Accepted: 07/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Glenn Arendts
- Emergency Medicine; The University of Western Australia; Perth Western Australia Australia
- Harry Perkins Institute for Medical Research; Perth Western Australia Australia
| | | | - Carolyn Hullick
- Emergency Department; John Hunter Hospital; Newcastle New South Wales Australia
| | - Ellen Burkett
- Princess Alexandra Hospital; Brisbane Queensland Australia
| | - Guruprasad Nagaraj
- Hornsby and Royal North Shore Hospitals; Sydney New South Wales Australia
- School of Medicine; The University of Sydney; Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - Ian R Rogers
- The University of Notre Dame; Fremantle Western Australia Australia
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Clemency B, Cordes CC, Lindstrom HA, Basior JM, Waldrop DP. Decisions by Default: Incomplete and Contradictory MOLST in Emergency Care. J Am Med Dir Assoc 2016; 18:35-39. [PMID: 27692663 DOI: 10.1016/j.jamda.2016.07.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2016] [Accepted: 07/29/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES What patients intend when they make health care choices and whether they understand the meaning of orders for life-sustaining treatment forms is not well understood. The purpose of this study was to analyze the directives from a sample of emergency department (ED) patients' MOLST forms. PROCEDURES MOLST forms that accompanied 100 patients who were transported to an ED were collected and their contents analyzed. Data categories included age, gender, if the patient completed the form for themselves, medical orders for life-sustaining treatment including intubation, ventilation, artificial nutrition, artificial fluids or other treatment, and wishes for future hospitalization or transfer. Frequencies of variables were calculated and the associations between them were determined using chi-square. An a priori list of combinations of medical orders that were contradictory was developed. Contradictions with Orders for CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) included the choice of one or more of the following: Comfort care; Limited intervention; Do Not Intubate; No rehospitalization; No IV (intravenous) fluids; and No antibiotics. Contradictions with DNR orders included the choice of one or more of the following: Intubation; No limitation on interventions. Contradictions with orders for Comfort Care were as follows: Send to the hospital; Trial period of IV fluids; Antibiotics. The frequencies of coexisting but contradictory medical orders were calculated using crosstabs. Free text responses to the "other instructions" section were submitted to content analysis. RESULTS Sixty-nine percent of forms reviewed had at least one section left blank. Inconsistencies were found in patient wishes among a subset (14%) of patients, wherein their desire for "comfort measures only" seemed contradicted by a desire to be sent to the hospital, receive IV fluids, and/or receive antibiotics. CONCLUSIONS Patients and proxies may believe that making choices and documenting some, but not all, of their wishes on the MOLST form is sufficient for directing their end-of-life care. The result of making some, but not all, choices may result in patients receiving undesired, extraordinary, or invasive care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Clemency
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University at Buffalo School of Medicine, Buffalo, NY
| | | | - Heather A Lindstrom
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University at Buffalo School of Medicine, Buffalo, NY
| | - Jeanne M Basior
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University at Buffalo School of Medicine, Buffalo, NY
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Sarkari NN, Perman SM, Ginde AA. Impact of early do-not-attempt-resuscitation orders on procedures and outcomes of severe sepsis. J Crit Care 2016; 36:134-139. [PMID: 27546762 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcrc.2016.06.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2016] [Revised: 04/26/2016] [Accepted: 06/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Do-not-attempt-resuscitation (DNAR) orders are common in severe sepsis, but the impact on clinical care is not known. Our primary objective was to determine the impact of early DNAR orders on in-hospital mortality and performance of key interventional procedures among severe sepsis hospitalizations. Our secondary objective was to further investigate what patient characteristics within the sepsis DNAR population affected outcomes. METHODS Using the 2010-2011 California State Inpatient Dataset, we analyzed hospitalizations for adults admitted through the emergency department with severe sepsis. Our primary predictor was a DNAR order, and our outcomes were in-hospital mortality and performance of interventional procedures. RESULTS Visits with early DNAR orders accounted for 20.3% of severe sepsis hospitalizations. An early DNAR order was a strong, independent predictor of higher in-hospital mortality (odds ratio [OR], 4.03; 95% confidence interval, 3.88-4.19) and lower performance of critical procedures: central venous line (OR, 0.70), mechanical ventilation (OR, 0.80), hemodialysis (OR, 0.61), and major operative procedure (OR, 0.46). Among those with early DNAR orders, older age and rural location were the strongest predictors for a lack of interventional procedures. CONCLUSION Although DNAR orders are not synonymous with "do not treat," they may unintentionally limit aggressive treatment for severe sepsis patients, especially in older adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neza N Sarkari
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO; Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH.
| | - Sarah M Perman
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO.
| | - Adit A Ginde
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kendra A Moore
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia2Fostering Improvement in End-of-Life Decision Science (FIELDS) Program, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
| | - Emily B Rubin
- Fostering Improvement in End-of-Life Decision Science (FIELDS) Program, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia3Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
| | - Scott D Halpern
- Fostering Improvement in End-of-Life Decision Science (FIELDS) Program, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia3Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
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Heyland DK, Ilan R, Jiang X, You JJ, Dodek P. The prevalence of medical error related to end-of-life communication in Canadian hospitals: results of a multicentre observational study. BMJ Qual Saf 2015; 25:671-9. [DOI: 10.1136/bmjqs-2015-004567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2015] [Accepted: 10/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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