Case Study Application of an Ethical Decision-Making Process for a Fragility Hip Fracture Patient

Strategies to improve end-of-life decision-making and palliative care following hip fracture in frail older adults: a scoping review

BACKGROUND

Although surgery is the gold standard following a hip fracture, the potential for rehabilitation and survival rates are low in frail older patients. Some patients may derive more benefit from palliative care. The objectives of this review were to identify the available strategies to improve end-of-life decision-making and palliative care for frail patients with hip fractures and to synthetise their level of support.

METHODS

We conducted a scoping review of the scientific and grey literature, searching seven databases and websites of associations. We included all study designs, expert opinion articles and clinical practice guidelines (CPGs). Data were synthetised according to the Approach to Patient with Limited Life Expectancy and Hip Fracture framework. The number of research items and their level of evidence were tabulated for each of the recommended strategies.

RESULTS

Of the 10 591 items identified, 34 were eligible. The majority of included articles were original research studies (n = 15). Half of the articles and CPGs focused on intervention categories (55%) such as goals of care discussion and comfort care, followed by factors to consider in the end-of-life decision-making process (25%) and prognosis assessments (20%), mainly through the estimation of life expectancy. The level of evidence for these strategies remains low, given the limited number of prospective studies supporting them.

CONCLUSIONS

This scoping review highlighted that end-of-life care in frail older patients with a hip fracture remains understudied. The strategies identified could be prioritised for future research to improve the well-being of the target population while promoting sustainable resource management.

Risk of Mortality for Proximal Femoral Fracture in Patients With and Without COVID-19. A Retrospective Cohort Study

Background

SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) has resulted in a widespread loss of lives, morbidity, and major disruptions to the healthcare system. Hip fractures are an emergent condition which require early intervention to reduce increased risk of mortality and morbidity. Infection of SARS-CoV-2 may contribute to increased mortality due to the role of infection and immune response. This study investigated the impact of COVID-19 infection (defined by clinical symptoms) on mortality following proximal femoral fracture (PFF) repair procedures.

Methods

This study was a retrospective cohort study. Data from the Premier Healthcare Database® was extracted for patients presenting for PFF during 2019 for control, and February 2020-September 2020 to represent a COVID time-period.

Results

A total of N = 73 953 subjects were enrolled for the 2019 period, and a total of N = 34 842 subjects were enrolled for the COVID period. For the 2019 period, subjects who had a PFF procedure and who had flu/COVID-like illness had 2.47 (CI:2.11, 2.88) times the odds of mortality compared to those who did not have flu/COVID-like illness. Subjects who had a PFF procedure and who had flu/COVID-like illness during the COVID period had 2.85 times (CI:2.36, 3.42) the odds of mortality compared to those who did not have flu/COVID-like illness. For the COVID period, within subjects who did not have a PFF procedure, those with flu/COVID-like illness had increased odds of mortality compared to those who did not have flu/COVID-like illness (OR:2.26, CI:1.57, 3.21).

Conclusions

Hip fractures present high risk for mortality and morbidity, where timely intervention is critical to improved outcomes. Presence of infection such as flu/COVID-like illness may influence mortality in patients undergoing hip fracture repair procedures. Consideration of infection status as a comorbidity is important to proper management and achieving optimal outcomes.

Circumstances Related to Moral Distress in Palliative Care: An Integrative Review

BACKGROUND

The practice of palliative care is involved with ethical conflicts related to the life-death process and relief of suffering. The inability to act in the face of such dilemmas, due to internal or external barriers, can cause moral distress in the healthcare professionals.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this integrative review is to analyze which circumstances cause moral distress in healthcare professionals who work in palliative care.

METHODS

An integrative review of the literature was made in the SCIELO and PubMed databases, based on the descriptors "palliative care" and "moral distress." Articles published between 2015-2020, in Portuguese, Spanish and English were included, following the PRISMA criteria.

RESULTS

From a selection of 97 documents, 56 were completed reviewed and 23 studies were included in the review. Most articles refer to the nursing area, followed by multidisciplinary studies. The circumstances related to moral distress were identified involving: personal aspects; patients and caregivers; team; environment and organization. Communication problems, lack of resources and witnessing professionals giving false hope to patient and family members were the events related to moral distress most mentioned by the articles in the review. Recommendations for reducing and preventing moral distress include empowerment and educational programs in bioethics and palliative care.

CONCLUSIONS

Moral distress is an evident phenomenon in palliative care, involving different situations that can impact on quality-of-care provided as well as the well-being of the healthcare professionals.

Ethical frameworks for complex medical decision making in older patients: A narrative review

BACKGROUND

With an ageing population physicians are more and more faced with complex medical and moral situations. Medical professional guidelines are often of limited use in these cases. To assist the decision making process, several ethical frameworks have been proposed. Ethical frameworks are analytical tools that are designed to assist physicians and other involved healthcare workers in complex moral decision-making situations. Most frameworks are step-by-step plans that can be followed chronologically during moral case deliberations. Some of these step-by-step plans provide specific moral guidance as to what would constitute a morally acceptable conclusion, while others do not.

OBJECTIVE

In this narrative review we will present and discuss the ethical frameworks used for medically complex situations in older people that have been proposed in literature.

METHODS

Three electronic databases (embase.com. Medline Ovid and PsychINFO Ovid) were searched from inception to January 24, 2020, with the help of expert librarians.

RESULTS

Twenty-three studies were included in the review, containing seventeen different frameworks. Twenty studies described step-by-step-frameworks, with the number of steps varying from three to twelve. In four studies suggestions were made as how to balance conflicting moral values.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS OF KEY FINDINGS

Ethical frameworks are meant to assist healthcare professionals who are faced with morally complex decisions in older patients. In our view, these frameworks should contain a step-by-step plan, moral values and an approach to balancing moral values.