Advance care planning in stroke: influence of time on engagement in the process

Canadian Stroke Best Practice Recommendations: Acute Stroke Management, 7th Edition Practice Guidelines Update, 2022

The 2022 update of the Canadian Stroke Best Practice Recommendations (CSBPR) for Acute Stroke Management, 7th edition, is a comprehensive summary of current evidence-based recommendations, appropriate for use by an interdisciplinary team of healthcare providers and system planners caring for persons with an acute stroke or transient ischemic attack. These recommendations are a timely opportunity to reassess current processes to ensure efficient access to acute stroke diagnostics, treatments, and management strategies, proven to reduce mortality and morbidity. The topics covered include prehospital care, emergency department care, intravenous thrombolysis and endovascular thrombectomy (EVT), prevention and management of inhospital complications, vascular risk factor reduction, early rehabilitation, and end-of-life care. These recommendations pertain primarily to an acute ischemic vascular event. Notable changes in the 7th edition include recommendations pertaining the use of tenecteplase, thrombolysis as a bridging therapy prior to mechanical thrombectomy, dual antiplatelet therapy for stroke prevention, the management of symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage following thrombolysis, acute stroke imaging, care of patients undergoing EVT, medical assistance in dying, and virtual stroke care. An explicit effort was made to address sex and gender differences wherever possible. The theme of the 7th edition of the CSBPR is building connections to optimize individual outcomes, recognizing that many people who present with acute stroke often also have multiple comorbid conditions, are medically more complex, and require a coordinated interdisciplinary approach for optimal recovery. Additional materials to support timely implementation and quality monitoring of these recommendations are available at www.strokebestpractices.ca.

Palliative care after stroke survival

Stroke is a leading cause of both death and disability worldwide. While most research has focused on the first hours to days after acute stroke, much less is known about the experience of patients and their families living after a stroke. Stroke survivors have a high burden of physical and psychological symptoms such as pain, fatigue, and depression that are often not addressed in the postacute setting. Similarly, goals-of-care conversations that may have started during the acute hospitalization are often not followed up later. This chapter outlines the prevalence and management of common poststroke symptoms, approaches to postacute goals-of-care conversations, family needs after stroke, and provides an overview of stroke-specific hospice and end-of-life care aspects. We emphasize the need for research in each of these areas.

Choosing Wisely: Canadian Neurological Society recommendations for advance care planning

Advance care planning (ACP) is a process to understand and communicate one's wishes, values, and preferences for future medical care. As part of the Choosing Wisely Canada "Time to Talk" initiative, the Canadian Neurological Society (CNS) endorsed the creation of a working group to propose ACP recommendations for patients with neurological illness. A narrative review of primary literature on ACP in neurological and non-neurological illness, medical society guidelines, and publications by patient advocacy groups was conducted. Eight ACP recommendations were deemed relevant and important to Canadian neurology practice and were approved by the CNS Board of Directors. The recommendations are meant to serve as guidance for Canadian neurologists, to stimulate discussion about ACP within the Canadian neurology community, and to encourage neurologists to engage in ACP conversations with their patients.

Gait patterns in ischemic and hemorrhagic post-stroke patients with delayed access to physiotherapy

OBJECTIVES

(1) To assess the effects of a conventional, delayed physiotherapy protocol used by Ischemic Stroke (IS) and Hemorrhagic Stroke (HS) post-stroke patients, in their electromyographic activation patterns during hemiparetic gait; and (2) to study whether this protocol may improve the functional abilities in this population.

METHODS

This is an observational, descriptive, and analytical quasi-experimental trial. Forty patients with unilateral IS ( n = 25 ) and HS ( n = 15 ) stroke were recruited; the stroke involved the motor cortex or sub-cortical areas, and the patients were able to walk independently. Interventions with standard protocols of physiotherapy were carried out. Evaluations (clinical and gait assessment) were performed at the time of admission and at the end of the protocol. Outcome measures include Stroke Impact Scale, Timed Up and Go Test, and gait electromyographic evaluation.

RESULTS

Only IS patients (with an average of 124 . 4 ± 45 . 4 months delayed access to physiotherapy rehabilitation) had improvements in Timed Up and Go Test (change in speed =- 8 . 0 seg p < 0 . 05 ) and presented an anticipation of the onset in Upper leg muscles after the intervention. BF ( p = 0 . 05 ), ST ( p = 0 . 001 ), and RF ( p = 0 . 024 ), started their recruitment (onset) earlier at the swing phase of the gait cycle, which is more similar to the normal pattern (grey shadow). IS and HS ( 120 . 4 ± 28 . 4 months since last stroke) patients presented higher electromyographic activation, after physiotherapy, of the posterior leg muscles (gastrocnemius, semitendinosus and biceps femoris) during stance phase ( p < 0 . 05 ).

CONCLUSION

IS patients had improvements after delayed conventional physiotherapy. For HS limited response to intervention was observed.

Palliative care after stroke: A review

BACKGROUND

Palliative care is an integral aspect of stroke unit care. In 2016, the American Stroke Association published a policy statement on palliative care and stroke. Since then there has been an expansion in the literature on palliative care and stroke.

AIM

Our aim was to narratively review research on palliative care and stroke, published since 2015.

RESULTS

The literature fell into three broad categories: (a) scope and scale of palliative care needs, (b) organization of palliative care for stroke, and (c) shared decision making. Most literature was observational. There was a lack of evidence about interventions that address specific palliative symptoms or improve shared decision making. Racial disparities exist in access to palliative care after stroke. There was a dearth of literature from low- and middle-income countries.

CONCLUSION

We recommend further research, especially in low- and middle-income countries, including research to explore why racial disparities in access to palliative care exist. Randomized trials are needed to address specific palliative care needs after stroke and to understand how best to facilitate shared decision making.

The experience of uncertainty for patients, families and healthcare providers in post-stroke palliative and end-of-life care: a qualitative meta-synthesis

PURPOSE

recent data show that there is limited evidence and guidance regarding the best practices for the integration of palliative care (PC) and end-of-life (EOL) post-stroke. The purpose of this meta-synthesis is to understand the PC/EOL experiences after a stroke.

METHODS

a meta-synthesis was conducted to answer the following research question-What are post-stroke PC/EOL experiences from the perspectives of patients, families and healthcare professionals (HCPs)? This approach was completed through two main phases-a systematic search and appraisal of the literature and reciprocal translation with interpretive triangulation of the extracted data. Databases searched were MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Joanna Briggs Institute and CINAHL databases (from their inception to April 2020). After data were extracted, a qualitative exploratory design was used to evaluate the PC/EOL in post-stroke experiences.

RESULTS

the search identified 696 studies. A total of 14 studies were included in this meta-synthesis as they satisfied our eligibility criteria. Uncertainty post-stroke was the overarching main theme that emerged across post-stroke PC/EOL experiences. Within this theme of uncertainty, opportunities to decrease uncertainty emerged from two interdependent themes-presence of cohesive communication and shared dynamic decision process for both families and HCPs.

CONCLUSIONS

to mitigate the degree of uncertainty post-stroke, HCPs should be present, provide clear direct communication and incorporate the value-based goals of care within their medical treatment plan. These findings suggest that future research is needed to focus on how PC approaches can be integrated into stroke care programmes.

Would people living with epilepsy benefit from palliative care?

Palliative care (PC) is an approach to the care of persons living with serious illness and their families that focuses on improving quality of life and reducing suffering by addressing complex medical symptoms, psychosocial needs, spiritual well-being, and advance care planning. While PC has traditionally been associated with hospice care for persons with cancer, there is now recognition that PC is relevant to many noncancer diagnoses, including neurologic illness, and at multiple points along the illness journey, not just end of life. Despite the recent growth of the field of neuropalliative care there has been scant attention paid to the relevance of PC principles in epilepsy or the potential for PC approaches to improve outcomes for persons living with epilepsy and their families. We believe this has been a significant oversight and that PC may provide a useful framework for addressing the many sources of suffering facing persons living with epilepsy, for engaging patients and families in challenging conversations, and to focus efforts to improve models of care for this population. In this manuscript we review areas of significant unmet needs where a PC approach may improve patient and family-centered outcomes, including complex symptom management, goals of care, advance care planning, psychosocial support for patient and family and spiritual well-being. When relevant we highlight areas where epilepsy patients may have unique PC needs compared to other patient populations and conclude with suggestions for future research, clinical, and educational efforts.

Planning After Stroke Survival: Advance Care Planning in the Stroke Clinic

Background

Stroke survivors have high rates of mortality and recurrent stroke. Stroke patients are often unable to participate in decision making, highlighting the need for advance care planning (ACP) in poststroke care. We sought to better understand experiences and perceptions around stroke risk and ACP in our stroke clinic.

Methods and Results

Clinic patients completed the Planning After Stroke Survival survey assessing (1) advance directive (AD) documentation and ACP conversations, (2) factors associated with ADs and ACP, (3) perceptions of stroke risk, and (4) ACP needs. We used a physician survey and the electronic medical record to assess clinical and demographic information. We collected 219 surveys (78% response rate). Forty‐five percent reported having completed ADs, although the correlation between patient report and EMS documentation of ADs was low. Most patients (73%) had discussed ACP, and 58% desired additional conversation. Predictors of completing ADs included age (≥65 years; odds ratio, 4.8; 95% CI, 2.3–10.1), white race (odds ratio, 3.1; 95% CI, 1.2–7.8), milder poststroke disability (modified Rankin Scale score ≤1; odds ratio, 2.9; 95% CI, 1.3–6.4), having previously discussed ACP with a physician (odds ratio, 4.8; 95% CI, 2.0–11.7), and discussing risk of stroke recurrence (odds ratio, 2.2; 95% CI, 1.1–4.5).

Conclusions

Stroke survivors had low AD completion rates and desired more conversations about stroke risk and ACP. Completed ADs were inconsistently documented in the electronic medical record. These findings provide guidance to improve ACP in our stroke clinic and may provide a model for others interested in enhancing ACP and ultimately goal‐concordant care.

Addressing possible problems with patients' expectations, plans and decisions for the future: One strategy used by experienced clinicians in advance care planning conversations

OBJECTIVE

Giving terminally ill people opportunities to participate in advance care planning involves tensions between: endorsing and supporting patients' expectations, plans and decisions, and addressing how realistic these are. The latter risks exerting undue pressure to change plans; undermining autonomy; jeopardising therapeutic relationships. Our objective is to describe how experienced hospice doctors raise potential/actual problems with patients' expectations, plans or decisions.

METHODS

Conversation analysis of video-recorded consultations between five UK hospice consultants, 37 patients and their companions.

RESULTS

Eleven episodes involving five doctors were found. In all of these we identified a 'Hypothetical Scenario Sequence' where doctors raise a hypothetical future scenario wherein current plans/expectations turn out to be problematic, then engage patients in discussing what could be done about this. We describe features of this sequence and how it can circumvent the risks of addressing problems with patients' expectations and plans.

CONCLUSION

Our research breaks new ground, showing that by treating expectations, plans and decisions as potentially not actually problematic, practitioners can recognise and support patients' preferences whilst preparing them for possible difficulties and inevitable uncertainties.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Where professionals judge it appropriate to raise problems about patients' preferences, plans and decisions, this sequence can manage the associated risks.