Increasing the number of patients receiving information about transition to end-of-life care: the effect of a half-day physician and nurse training

Education modalities for serious illness communication training: A scoping review on the impact on clinician behavior and patient outcomes

BACKGROUND

Several clinician training interventions have been developed in the past decade to address serious illness communication. While numerous studies report on clinician attitudes and confidence, little is reported on individual education modalities and their impact on actual behavior change and patient outcomes.

AIM

To examine what is known about the education modalities used in serious illness communication training and their impact on clinician behaviors and patient outcomes.

DESIGN

A scoping review using the Joanna Briggs Methods Manual for Scoping Reviews was conducted to examine studies measuring clinician behaviors or patient outcomes.

DATA SOURCES

Ovid MEDLINE and EMBASE databases were searched for English-language studies published between January 2011 and March 2023.

RESULTS

The search identified 1317 articles: 76 met inclusion criteria describing 64 unique interventions. Common education modalities used were: single workshop (n = 29), multiple workshops (n = 11), single workshop with coaching (n = 7), and multiple workshops with coaching (n = 5); though they were inconsistently structured. Studies reporting improved clinician skills tended to be in simulation settings with neither clinical practice nor patient outcomes explored. While some studies reported behavior changes or improved patient outcomes, they did not necessarily confirm improvements in clinician skills. As multiple modalities were commonly used and often embedded within quality improvement initiatives, the impact of individual modalities could not be determined.

CONCLUSION

This scoping review of serious illness communication interventions found heterogeneity among education modalities used and limited evidence supporting their effectiveness in impacting patient-centered outcomes and long-term clinician skill acquisition. Well-defined educational modalities and consistent measures of behavior change and standard patient-centered outcomes are needed.

Interventions for interpersonal communication about end of life care between health practitioners and affected people

BACKGROUND

Communication about end of life (EoL) and EoL care is critically important for providing quality care as people approach death. Such communication is often complex and involves many people (patients, family members, carers, health professionals). How best to communicate with people in the period approaching death is not known, but is an important question for quality of care at EoL worldwide. This review fills a gap in the evidence on interpersonal communication (between people and health professionals) in the last year of life, focusing on interventions to improve interpersonal communication and patient, family member and carer outcomes.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the effects of interventions designed to improve verbal interpersonal communication about EoL care between health practitioners and people affected by EoL.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, and CINAHL from inception to July 2018, without language or date restrictions. We contacted authors of included studies and experts and searched reference lists to identify relevant papers. We searched grey literature sources, conference proceedings, and clinical trials registries in September 2019. Database searches were re-run in June 2021 and potentially relevant studies listed as awaiting classification or ongoing.

SELECTION CRITERIA

This review assessed the effects of interventions, evaluated in randomised and quasi-randomised trials, intended to enhance interpersonal communication about EoL care between patients expected to die within 12 months, their family members and carers, and health practitioners involved in their care. Patients of any age from birth, in any setting or care context (e.g. acute catastrophic injury, chronic illness), and all health professionals involved in their care were eligible. All communication interventions were eligible, as long as they included interpersonal interaction(s) between patients and family members or carers and health professionals. Interventions could be simple or complex, with one or more communication aims (e.g. to inform, skill, engage, support). Effects were sought on outcomes for patients, family and carers, health professionals and health systems, including adverse (unintended) effects. To ensure this review's focus was maintained on interpersonal communication in the last 12 months of life,  we excluded studies that addressed specific decisions, shared or otherwise, and the tools involved in such decision-making. We also excluded studies focused on advance care planning (ACP) reporting ACP uptake or completion as the primary outcome. Finally, we excluded studies of communication skills training for health professionals unless patient outcomes were reported as primary outcomes.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Standard Cochrane methods were used, including dual review author study selection, data extraction and quality assessment of the included studies.

MAIN RESULTS

Eight trials were included. All assessed intervention effects compared with usual care. Certainty of the evidence was low or very low. All outcomes were downgraded for indirectness based on the review's purpose, and many were downgraded for imprecision and/or inconsistency. Certainty was not commonly downgraded for methodological limitations. A summary of the review's findings is as follows. Knowledge and understanding (four studies, low-certainty evidence; one study without usable data): interventions to improve communication (e.g. question prompt list, with or without patient and physician training) may have little or no effect on knowledge of illness and prognosis, or information needs and preferences, although studies were small and measures used varied across trials.  Evaluation of the communication (six studies measuring several constructs (communication quality, patient-centredness, involvement preferences, doctor-patient relationship, satisfaction with consultation), most low-certainty evidence): across constructs there may be minimal or no effects of interventions to improve EoL communication, and there is uncertainty about effects of interventions such as a patient-specific feedback sheet on quality of communication.  Discussions of EoL or EoL care (six studies measuring selected outcomes, low- or very low-certainty evidence): a family conference intervention may increase duration of EoL discussions in an intensive care unit (ICU) setting, while use of a structured serious illness conversation guide may lead to earlier discussions of EoL and EoL care (each assessed by one study). We are uncertain about effects on occurrence of discussions and question asking in consultations, and there may be little or no effect on content of communication in consultations.  Adverse outcomes or unintended effects (limited evidence): there is insufficient evidence to determine whether there are adverse outcomes associated with communication interventions  (e.g. question prompt list, family conference, structured discussions) for EoL and EoL care. Patient and/or carer anxiety was reported by three studies, but judged as confounded. No other unintended consequences, or worsening of desired outcomes, were reported. Patient/carer quality of life (four studies, low-certainty evidence; two without useable data): interventions to improve communication may have little or no effect on quality of life.  Health practitioner outcomes (three studies, low-certainty evidence; two without usable data): interventions to improve communication may have little or no effect on health practitioner outcomes (satisfaction with communication during consultation; one study); effects on other outcomes (knowledge, preparedness to communicate) are unknown. Health systems impacts: communication interventions (e.g. structured EoL conversations) may have little or no effect on carer or clinician ratings of quality of EoL care (satisfaction with care, symptom management, comfort assessment, quality of care) (three studies, low-certainty evidence), or on patients' self-rated care and illness, or numbers of care goals met (one study, low-certainty evidence). Communication interventions (e.g. question prompt list alone or with nurse-led communication skills training) may slightly increase mean consultation length (two studies), but other health service impacts (e.g. hospital admissions) are unclear.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Findings of this review are inconclusive for practice. Future research might contribute meaningfully by seeking to fill gaps for populations not yet studied in trials; and to develop responsive outcome measures with which to better assess the effects of communication on the range of people involved in EoL communication episodes. Mixed methods and/or qualitative research may contribute usefully to better understand the complex interplay between different parties involved in communication, and to inform development of more effective interventions and appropriate outcome measures. Co-design of such interventions and outcomes, involving the full range of people affected by EoL communication and care, should be a key underpinning principle for future research in this area.

End-of-life discussions in residential care homes improves symptom control: a national register study

BACKGROUND

In Europe, residential care homes (RCHs) rather than hospitals are the most common care facilities for the older adult and the place where most deaths occur in this age group. There is a lack of knowledge regarding end-of-life (EOL) discussions and how they correlate with symptoms and symptom relief.

OBJECTIVE

The aim was to examine the correlation between EOL discussions and symptom occurrence, symptom relief and prescriptions or PRN drugs against symptoms for care home residents.

METHODS

All expected deaths at RCHs from 1 October 2015 to 31 December 2016 and registered in the Swedish Register of Palliative Care were included. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to compare the RCH residents, or their family members, who had received documented EOL discussions with a physician (the EOL discussion group) and the non-EOL discussion group.

RESULTS

The EOL discussion group (n=17 071) had a higher prevalence of pain, nausea, anxiety, death rattles and shortness of breath reported, compared with the non-EOL discussion group (n=4164). Those with symptoms were more often completely relieved and had more often been prescribed PRN drugs against that symptom in the EOL discussion group. All differences remained significant when adjusting for age, time living in unit and cause of death.

CONCLUSION

The results indicate that EOL discussions are correlated with higher prevalence of symptoms, but also with better symptom relief and prescription of symptom drugs PRN when symptomatic. A possible explanation for this is that the EOL discussion can work as an opportunity to discuss symptoms and treatment for symptom relief.

Cancer patients hospitalised in the last week of life risk insufficient care quality - a population-based study from the Swedish Register of Palliative Care

BACKGROUND

One-quarter of all cancer deaths in Sweden occur in hospitals. If the place of death affects the quality of end-of-life (EOL) is largely unknown.

METHODS

This population-based, retrospective study included all adults cancer deaths reported to the Swedish Register of Palliative Care in 2011-2013 (N = 41,729). Hospital deaths were compared to deaths occurring in general or specialised palliative care, or in nursing homes with respect to care quality indicators in the last week of life. Odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated with specialised palliative home care as reference.

RESULTS

Preferred place of death was unknown for 63% of hospitalised patients and consistent with the actual place of death in 25% compared to 97% in palliative home care. Hospitalised patients were less likely to be informed when death was imminent (OR: 0.3; CI: 0.28-0.33) as were their families (OR: 0.51; CI: 0.46-0.57). Validated screening tools were less often used in hospitals for assessment of pain (OR: 0.32; CI: 0.30-0.34) or other symptoms (OR: 0.31; CI: 0.28-0.34) despite similar levels of EOL symptoms. Prescriptions of as needed drugs against anxiety (OR: 0.27; CI: 0.24-0.30), nausea (OR: 0.19; CI: 0.17-0.21), or pulmonary secretions (OR: 0.29; CI: 0.26-0.32) were less prevalent in hospitals. Bereavement support was offered after 57% of hospital deaths compared to 87-97% in palliative care units and 72% in nursing homes.

CONCLUSIONS

Dying in hospital was associated with inferior end-of-life care quality among cancer patients in Sweden.

Adulthood transitions in health and welfare; a literature review

AIM

The aim of the literature review was to describe how adulthood transition is used in health and welfare.

DESIGN

A qualitative design with a deductive approach were used.

METHODS

As material, 283 articles published in scientific journals, between 2011-August 2013, were selected. The search was conducted August 2013. The data were analysed and sorted in a categorization matrix.

RESULTS

Transition was identified as a process mainly related to the four types previously identified; developmental, situational, health-illness and organizational transitions. Another one transition was also identified, lifestyle transition.

Evaluation of an interdisciplinary palliative care inhouse training for professionals in gynecological oncology

PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a pilot interdisciplinary inhouse training in palliative care (PC) for gynecological oncologists.

METHODS

Competencies of participants from a gynecological university department were evaluated taking part in an interdisciplinary PC course in a pre and post design. The multiprofessional course covered basic principles of PC, symptom management and communication taught by PC specialists. Competencies were evaluated using self-designed questionnaires before (ISPG-1), right after (ISPG-2), and 6 months after the training (ISPG-3) (inhouse seminar palliative care in gynecology: ISPG).

RESULTS

31 persons from the department of gynecology took part in the course, of which 27 answered the first questionnaire (seven nurses (26%), 19 doctors (71%), one profession not indicated (3%), median working experience in gynecological oncology: 5 years). Return rates were: ISPG-1 27/31 (87.1%), ISPG-2 20/31 (64.5%) and IPSG-3 14/31 (45.2%). A more positive attitude towards PC could be observed in the majority of participants after the course (ISPG-2 62%, ISPG-3 71%). They felt more competent in the care of palliative patients (46%). PC would be initiated earlier and the interaction with other disciplines was improved (ISPG-2 85%, ISPG-3 100%). The participants assessed a significant improvement of their skills in all palliative fields which were analyzed.

CONCLUSION

PC inhouse training improves the understanding of PC and the interdisciplinary approach in the management of patients with advanced disease. It is a feasible and useful instrument to improve the competencies in generalist PC of specialists in gynecological oncology.

Improved data validity in the Swedish Register of Palliative Care

Introduction

The Swedish Register of Palliative Care (SRPC) is a national quality register that collects data about end-of-life care from healthcare providers that care for dying patients. Data are used for quality control and research. Data are mainly collected with an end-of-life questionnaire (ELQ), which is completed by healthcare staff after the death of a patient. A previous validity assessment of the ELQ showed insufficient validity in some items including symptom relief. The aim of this study was to examine the validity of the revised ELQ.

Materials and methods

Data from 100 consecutive patients’ medical records at two specialised palliative care units were used to complete new ELQs, which were then compared to the ELQ registrations from the SRPC for the same patients. The level of agreement was calculated for each ELQ item. To account for the possibility of the agreement occurring by chance, Cohen’s kappa was calculated for suitable items. To examine the extent of registration mistakes when transferring the paper form to the web, the original paper versions of the ELQ filled out at the units were compared to data from the ELQs reported to the SRPC.

Results

Level of agreement between ELQ registrations from the SRPC and the new ELQs based on the medical records varied between 0.55 and 1.00, where 24 items showed level of agreement above 0.80 and 9 items showed level of agreement below 0.80. Cohen’s kappa with 95% confidence intervals was calculated for 24 items. The kappa values showed that two items had poor agreement, four fair agreement, 11 moderate agreement, five good agreement and two very good agreement. The level of agreement varied between 0.93 and 1.00 when comparing the ELQ registrations in the SRPC and the paper forms.

Conclusion

The revised ELQ contains more items with high levels of agreement between registrations in the SRPC and notes in the patients’ medical records when compared to the previous version. Validating issues around symptom assessment remains a challenge in our model of quality assessment.

What Makes a Good Palliative Care Physician? A Qualitative Study about the Patient's Expectations and Needs when Being Admitted to a Palliative Care Unit

Objective

The aims of the study were to examine a) patients’ knowledge of palliative care, b) patients’ expectations and needs when being admitted to a palliative care unit, and c) patient’s concept of a good palliative care physician.

Methods

The study was based on a qualitative methodology, comprising 32 semistructured interviews with advanced cancer patients admitted to the palliative care unit of the Medical University of Vienna. Interviews were conducted with 20 patients during the first three days after admission to the unit and after one week, recorded digitally, and transcribed verbatim. Data were analyzed using NVivo 10 software, based on thematic analysis enhanced with grounded theory techniques.

Results

The results revealed four themes: (1) information about palliative care, (2) supportive care needs, (3) being treated in a palliative care unit, and (4) qualities required of palliative care physicians. The data showed that patients lack information about palliative care, that help in social concerns plays a central role in palliative care, and attentiveness as well as symptom management are important to patients. Patients desire a personal patient-physician relationship. The qualities of a good palliative care physician were honesty, the ability to listen, taking time, being experienced in their field, speaking the patient’s language, being human, and being gentle. Patients experienced relief when being treated in a palliative care unit, perceived their care as an interdisciplinary activity, and felt that their burdensome symptoms were being attended to with emotional care. Negative perceptions included the overtly intense treatment.

Conclusions

The results of the present study offer an insight into what patients expect from palliative care teams. Being aware of patient’s needs will enable medical teams to improve professional and individualized care.