1
|
Umberfield EE, Fields MC, Lenko R, Morgan TP, Adair ES, Fromme EK, Lum HD, Moss AH, Wenger NS, Sudore RL, Hickman SE. An Integrative Review of the State of POLST Science: What Do We Know and Where Do We Go? J Am Med Dir Assoc 2024; 25:557-564.e8. [PMID: 38395413 PMCID: PMC10996838 DOI: 10.1016/j.jamda.2024.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES POLST is widely used in the care of seriously ill patients to document decisions made during advance care planning (ACP) conversations as actionable medical orders. We conducted an integrative review of existing research to better understand associations between POLST use and key ACP outcomes as well as to identify directions for future research. DESIGN Integrative review. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS Not applicable. METHODS We queried PubMed and CINAHL databases using names of POLST programs to identify research on POLST. We abstracted study information and assessed study design quality. Study outcomes were categorized using the international ACP Outcomes Framework: Process, Action, Quality of Care, Health Status, and Healthcare Utilization. RESULTS Of 94 POLST studies identified, 38 (40%) had at least a moderate level of study design quality and 15 (16%) included comparisons between POLST vs non-POLST patient groups. There was a significant difference between groups for 40 of 70 (57%) ACP outcomes. The highest proportion of significant outcomes was in Quality of Care (15 of 19 or 79%). In subdomain analyses of Quality of Care, POLST use was significantly associated with concordance between treatment and documentation (14 of 18 or 78%) and preferences concordant with documentation (1 of 1 or 100%). The Action outcome domain had the second highest positive rate among outcome domains; 9 of 12 (75%) Action outcomes were significant. Healthcare Utilization outcomes were the most frequently assessed and approximately half (16 of 35 or 46%) were significant. Health Status outcomes were not significant (0 of 4 or 0%), and no Process outcomes were identified. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Findings of this review indicate that POLST use is significantly associated with a Quality of Care and Action outcomes, albeit in nonrandomized studies. Future research on POLST should focus on prospective mixed methods studies and high-quality pragmatic trials that assess a broad range of person and health system-level outcomes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth E Umberfield
- Division of Nursing Research, Department of Nursing, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA; Department of Artificial Intelligence and Informatics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
| | - Matthew C Fields
- School of Nursing, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Research in Palliative and End-of-Life Communication and Training (RESPECT) Signature Center, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Rachel Lenko
- Department of Nursing, School of Health, Calvin University, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Teryn P Morgan
- Center for Biomedical Informatics, Regenstrief Institute, Inc, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Department of BioHealth Informatics, School of Informatics and Computing, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | | | - Erik K Fromme
- Department of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA; Ariadne Labs at Brigham and Women's Hospital and the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Hillary D Lum
- Division of Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Alvin H Moss
- Center for Health Ethics and Law, West Virginia University Health Sciences Center, Morgantown, WV, USA; Divisions of Nephrology and Palliative Medicine, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Neil S Wenger
- Division of General Internal Medicine and Health Services Research, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Rebecca L Sudore
- Division of Geriatrics, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Susan E Hickman
- School of Nursing, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Research in Palliative and End-of-Life Communication and Training (RESPECT) Signature Center, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana University Center for Aging Research, Regenstrief Institute, Inc, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Kim SH, Jang JH, Kim YZ, Kim KH, Nam TM. Recent Trends in the Withdrawal of Life-Sustaining Treatment in Patients with Acute Cerebrovascular Disease : 2017-2021. J Korean Neurosurg Soc 2024; 67:73-83. [PMID: 37454676 PMCID: PMC10788555 DOI: 10.3340/jkns.2023.0074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The Act on Life-Sustaining Treatment (LST) decisions for end-of-life patients has been effective since February 2018. An increasing number of patients and their families want to withhold or withdraw from LST when medical futility is expected. This study aimed to investigate the status of the Act on LST decisions for patients with acute cerebrovascular disease at a single hospital. METHODS Between January 2017 and December 2021, 227 patients with acute cerebrovascular diseases, including hemorrhagic stroke (n=184) and ischemic stroke (n=43), died at the hospital. The study period was divided into the periods before and after the Act. RESULTS The duration of hospitalization decreased after the Act was implemented compared to before (15.9±16.1 vs. 11.2±18.6 days, p=0.127). The rate of obtaining consent for the LST plan tended to increase after the Act (139/183 [76.0%] vs. 27/44 [61.4%], p=0.077). Notably, none of the patients made an LST decision independently. Ventilator withdrawal was more frequently performed after the Act than before (52/183 [28.4%] vs. 0/44 [0%], p<0.001). Conversely, the rate of organ donation decreased after the Act was implemented (5/183 [2.7%] vs. 6/44 [13.6%], p=0.008). Refusal to undergo surgery was more common after the Act was implemented than before (87/149 [58.4%] vs. 15/41 [36.6%], p=0.021) among the 190 patients who required surgery. CONCLUSION After the Act on LST decisions was implemented, the rate of LST withdrawal increased in patients with acute cerebrovascular disease. However, the decision to withdraw LST was made by the patient's family rather than the patient themselves. After the execution of the Act, we also observed an increased rate of refusal to undergo surgery and a decreased rate of organ donation. The Act on LST decisions may reduce unnecessary treatments that prolong end-of-life processes without a curative effect. However, the widespread application of this law may also reduce beneficial treatments and contribute to a decline in organ donation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Seung Hwan Kim
- Department of Neurosurgery, Samsung Changwon Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Changwon, Korea
| | - Ji Hwan Jang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Samsung Changwon Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Changwon, Korea
| | - Young Zoon Kim
- Department of Neurosurgery, Samsung Changwon Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Changwon, Korea
| | - Kyu Hong Kim
- Department of Neurosurgery, Samsung Changwon Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Changwon, Korea
| | - Taek Min Nam
- Department of Neurosurgery, Samsung Changwon Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Changwon, Korea
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Ersek M, Sales A, Keddem S, Ayele R, Haverhals LM, Magid KH, Kononowech J, Murray A, Carpenter JG, Foglia MB, Potter L, McKenzie J, Davis D, Levy C. Preferences Elicited and Respected for Seriously Ill Veterans through Enhanced Decision-Making (PERSIVED): a protocol for an implementation study in the Veterans Health Administration. Implement Sci Commun 2022; 3:78. [PMID: 35859140 PMCID: PMC9296899 DOI: 10.1186/s43058-022-00321-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Empirical evidence supports the use of structured goals of care conversations and documentation of life-sustaining treatment (LST) preferences in durable, accessible, and actionable orders to improve the care for people living with serious illness. As the largest integrated healthcare system in the USA, the Veterans Health Administration (VA) provides an excellent environment to test implementation strategies that promote this evidence-based practice. The Preferences Elicited and Respected for Seriously Ill Veterans through Enhanced Decision-Making (PERSIVED) program seeks to improve care outcomes for seriously ill Veterans by supporting efforts to conduct goals of care conversations, systematically document LST preferences, and ensure timely and accurate communication about preferences across VA and non-VA settings. METHODS PERSIVED encompasses two separate but related implementation projects that support the same evidence-based practice. Project 1 will enroll 12 VA Home Based Primary Care (HBPC) programs and Project 2 will enroll six VA Community Nursing Home (CNH) programs. Both projects begin with a pre-implementation phase during which data from diverse stakeholders are gathered to identify barriers and facilitators to adoption of the LST evidence-based practice. This baseline assessment is used to tailor quality improvement activities using audit with feedback and implementation facilitation during the implementation phase. Site champions serve as the lynchpin between the PERSIVED project team and site personnel. PERSIVED teams support site champions through monthly coaching sessions. At the end of implementation, baseline site process maps are updated to reflect new steps and procedures to ensure timely conversations and documentation of treatment preferences. During the sustainability phase, intense engagement with champions ends, at which point champions work independently to maintain and improve processes and outcomes. Ongoing process evaluation, guided by the RE-AIM framework, is used to monitor Reach, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance outcomes. Effectiveness will be assessed using several endorsed clinical metrics for seriously ill populations. DISCUSSION The PERSIVED program aims to prevent potentially burdensome LSTs by consistently eliciting and documenting values, goals, and treatment preferences of seriously ill Veterans. Working with clinical operational partners, we will apply our findings to HBPC and CNH programs throughout the national VA healthcare system during a future scale-out period.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mary Ersek
- Center for Health Equity and Promotion, Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center, 3900 Woodland Avenue, Annex Suite 203, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA. .,University of Pennsylvania Schools of Nursing and Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Anne Sales
- Sinclair School of Nursing and Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA.,Center for Clinical Management Research, VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Shimrit Keddem
- Center for Health Equity and Promotion, Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center, 3900 Woodland Avenue, Annex Suite 203, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.,Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Roman Ayele
- Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center, Aurora, CO, USA.,University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Leah M Haverhals
- Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center, Aurora, CO, USA.,University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Kate H Magid
- Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Jennifer Kononowech
- Center for Clinical Management Research, VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Andrew Murray
- Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Joan G Carpenter
- Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,University of Maryland School of Nursing, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Mary Beth Foglia
- VA National Center for Ethics in Health Care, Washington, D.C., USA.,Department of Bioethics and Humanities, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Lucinda Potter
- VA National Center for Ethics in Health Care, Washington, D.C., USA
| | - Jennifer McKenzie
- VA Purchased Long-Term Services and Supports, Geriatrics and Extended Care, D, Washington, .C, USA
| | - Darlene Davis
- Home-Based Primary Care Program, Office of Geriatrics and Extended Care, Washington, D.C., USA
| | - Cari Levy
- Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center, Aurora, CO, USA.,University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
End-of-Life Care Terminology: A Scoping Review. ANS Adv Nurs Sci 2021; 44:148-156. [PMID: 33181566 DOI: 10.1097/ans.0000000000000334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The purpose of this scoping review is to present an overview of terms found in publications associated with end-of-life care management that can impact decision making by patients, health care providers, and researchers. Connotative terminology and syntax can influence the decision-making approach and process. We examined 49 publications for positive, negative, and neutral connotations. We consistently found negative terminology in the publications. To advance the development of nursing knowledge regarding end-of-life care, researchers should be aware of their biases of terminology and syntax use. We propose modifications to language used in end-of-life care planning models and literature can improve care congruency.
Collapse
|