Erin K. Kross

Guidelines for Family-Centered Care in the Neonatal, Pediatric, and Adult ICU.

Objective: To provide clinicians with evidence-based strategies to optimize the support of the family of critically ill patients in the ICU. Methods: We used the Council of Medical Specialty Societies principles for the development of clinical guidelines as the framework for guideline development. We assembled an international multidisciplinary team of 29 members with expertise in guideline development, evidence analysis, and family-centered care to revise the 2007 Clinical Practice Guidelines for support of the family in the patient-centered ICU. We conducted a scoping review of qualitative research that explored family-centered care in the ICU. Thematic analyses were conducted to support Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome question development. Patients and families validated the importance of interventions and outcomes. We then conducted a systematic review using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations methodology to make recommendations for practice. Recommendations were subjected to electronic voting with pre-established voting thresholds. No industry funding was associated with the guideline development. Results: The scoping review yielded 683 qualitative studies; 228 were used for thematic analysis and Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome question development. The systematic review search yielded 4,158 reports after deduplication and 76 additional studies were added from alerts and hand searches; 238 studies met inclusion criteria. We made 23 recommendations from moderate, low, and very low level of evidence on the topics of: communication with family members, family presence, family support, consultations and ICU team members, and operational and environmental issues. We provide recommendations for future research and work-tools to support translation of the recommendations into practice. Conclusions: These guidelines identify the evidence base for best practices for family-centered care in the ICU. All recommendations were weak, highlighting the relative nascency of this field of research and the importance of future research to identify the most effective interventions to improve this important aspect of ICU care.

Estimating the Effect of Palliative Care Interventions and Advance Care Planning on Icu Utilization: A Systematic Review*

Objective: We conducted a systematic review to answer three questions: 1) Do advance care planning and palliative care interventions lead to a reduction in ICU admissions for adult patients with life-limiting illnesses? 2) Do these interventions reduce ICU length of stay? and 3) Is it possible to provide estimates of the magnitude of these effects? Data Sources: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Controlled Clinical Trials, and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature databases from 1995 through March 2014. Study Selection: We included studies that reported controlled trials (randomized and nonrandomized) assessing the impact of advance care planning and both primary and specialty palliative care interventions on ICU admissions and ICU length of stay for critically ill adult patients. Data Extraction: Nine randomized controlled trials and 13 nonrandomized controlled trials were selected from 216 references. Data Synthesis: Nineteen of these studies were used to provide estimates of the magnitude of effect of palliative care interventions and advance care planning on ICU admission and length of stay. Three studies reporting on ICU admissions suggest that advance care planning interventions reduce the relative risk of ICU admission for patients at high risk of death by 37% (SD, 23%). For trials evaluating palliative care interventions in the ICU setting, we found a 26% (SD, 23%) relative risk reduction in length of stay with these interventions. Conclusions: Despite wide variation in study type and quality, patients who received advance care planning or palliative care interventions consistently showed a pattern toward decreased ICU admissions and reduced ICU length of stay. Although SDs are wide and study quality varied, the magnitude of the effect is possible to estimate and provides a basis for modeling impact on healthcare costs.

ICU Care Associated With Symptoms of Depression and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Among Family Members of Patients Who Die in the ICU

BACKGROUND Psychologic symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression are relatively common among family members of patients who die in the ICU. The patient-level risk factors for these family symptoms are not well understood but may help to target future interventions. METHODS We performed a cohort study of family members of patients who died in the ICU or within 30 h of ICU transfer. Outcomes included self-reported symptoms of PTSD and depression. Predictors included patient demographics and elements of palliative care. RESULTS Two hundred twenty-six patients had chart abstraction and family questionnaire data. Family members of older patients had lower scores for PTSD (P = .026). Family members that were present at the time of death (P = .021) and family members of patients with early family conferences (P = .012) reported higher symptoms of PTSD. When withdrawal of a ventilator was ordered, family members reported lower symptoms of depression (P = .033). There were no other patient characteristics or elements of palliative care associated with family symptoms. CONCLUSIONS Family members of younger patients and those for whom mechanical ventilation is not withdrawn are at increased risk of psychologic symptoms and may represent an important group for intervention. Increased PTSD symptoms among family members present at the time of death may reflect a closer relationship with the patient or more involvement with the patients ICU care but also suggests that family should be offered the option of not being present.

Predictors of posttraumatic stress disorder and return to usual major activity in traumatically injured intensive care unit survivors.

OBJECTIVE To assess intensive care unit (ICU)/acute care service-delivery characteristics and pre-ICU factors as predictors of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and return to usual major activity after ICU admission for trauma. METHOD Data from the National Study on the Costs and Outcomes of Trauma were used to evaluate a prospective cohort of 1906 ICU survivors. We assessed PTSD with the PTSD Checklist. Regression analyses ascertained associations between ICU/acute care service-delivery characteristics, pre-ICU factors, early post-ICU distress and 12-month PTSD and return to usual activity, while controlling for clinical and demographic characteristics. RESULTS Approximately 25% of ICU survivors had symptoms suggestive of PTSD. Increased early post-ICU distress predicted both PTSD and diminished usual major activity. Pulmonary artery catheter insertion [risk ratio (RR) 1.28, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.05-1.57, P=.01] and pre-ICU depression (RR 1.23, 95% CI 1.02-1.49, P=.03) were associated with PTSD. Longer ICU lengths of stay (RR 1.21, 95% CI 1.03-1.44, P=.02) and tracheostomy (RR 1.29, 95% CI 1.05-1.59, P=.01) were associated with diminished usual activity. Greater preexisting medical comorbidities were associated with PTSD and limited return to usual activity. CONCLUSIONS Easily identifiable risk factors including ICU/acute care service-delivery characteristics and early post-ICU distress were associated with increased risk of PTSD and limitations in return to usual major activity. Future investigations could develop early screening interventions in acute care settings targeting these risk factors, facilitating appropriate treatments.

Hospital variation and temporal trends in palliative and end-of-life care in the ICU.

Objectives:Although studies have shown regional and interhospital variability in the intensity of end-of-life care, few data are available assessing variability in specific aspects of palliative care in the ICU across hospitals or interhospital variability in family and nurse ratings of this care. Recently, relatively high family satisfaction with ICU end-of-life care has prompted speculation that ICU palliative care has improved over time, but temporal trends have not been documented. Design/Setting:Retrospective cohort study of consecutive patients dying in the ICU in 13 Seattle-Tacoma-area hospitals between 2003 and 2008. Measurements:We examined variability over time and among hospitals in satisfaction and quality of dying assessed by family, quality of dying assessed by nurses, and chart-based indicators of palliative care. We used regression analyses adjusting for patient, family, and nurse characteristics. Main Results:Medical charts were abstracted for 3,065 of 3,246 eligible patients over a 55-month period. There were significant differences between hospitals for all chart-based indicators (p < 0.001), family satisfaction (p < 0.001), family-rated quality of dying (p = 0.03), and nurse-rated quality of dying (p = 0.003). There were few significant changes in these measures over time, although we found a significant increase in pain assessments in the last 24 hours of life (p < 0.001) as well as decreased documentation of family conferences (p < 0.001) and discussion of prognosis (p = 0.020) in the first 72 hours in the ICU. Conclusions:We found significant interhospital variation in ratings and delivery of palliative care, consistent with prior studies showing variation in intensity of care at the end of life. We did not find evidence of temporal changes in most aspects of palliative care, family satisfaction, or nurse/family ratings of the quality of dying. With the possible exception of pain assessment, there is little evidence that the quality of palliative care has improved over the time period studied.

The association of spiritual care providers' activities with family members' satisfaction with care after a death in the ICU*.

Objectives:Spiritual distress is common in the ICU, and spiritual care providers are often called upon to provide care for patients and their families. Our goal was to evaluate the activities spiritual care providers’ conduct to support patients and families and whether those activities are associated with family satisfaction with ICU care. Design:Prospective cohort study. Setting:Three hundred fifty-bed tertiary care teaching hospital with 65 ICU beds. Subjects:Spiritual care providers and family members of patients who died in the ICU or within 30 hours of transfer from the ICU. InterventionsNone. Measurements and Main Results:Spiritual care providers completed surveys reporting their activities. Family members completed validated measures of satisfaction with care and satisfaction with spiritual care. Clustered regression was used to assess the association between activities completed by spiritual care providers and family ratings of care. Of 494 eligible patients, 275 family members completed surveys (response rate, 56%). Fifty-seven spiritual care providers received surveys relating to 268 patients, completing 285 surveys for 244 patients (response rate, 91%). Spiritual care providers commonly reported activities related to supporting religious and spiritual needs (≥ 90%) and providing support for family feelings (90%). Discussions about the patient’s wishes for end-of-life care and a greater number of spiritual care activities performed were both associated with increased overall family satisfaction with ICU care (p < 0.05). Discussions about a patient’s end-of-life wishes, preparation for a family conference, and total number of activities performed were associated with improved family satisfaction with decision-making in the ICU (p < 0.05). Conclusions:Spiritual care providers engage in a variety of activities with families of ICU patients; several are associated with increased family satisfaction with ICU care in general and decision-making in the ICU specifically. These findings provide insight into spiritual care provider activities and provide guidance for interventions to improve spiritual care delivered to families of critically ill patients.

Potential for Response Bias in Family Surveys About End-of-Life Care in the ICU

BACKGROUND After-death surveys are an important source of information about the quality of end-of-life care, but response rates generally are low. Our goal was to understand the potential for nonresponse bias in survey studies of family members after a patients death in the hospital ICU by identifying differences in patient demographics and delivery of palliative care between patients whose families respond to a survey about end-of-life care and those whose families do not. METHODS We performed a cohort study of patients who died in the ICU at 14 hospitals. Surveys were mailed to family members 1 to 2 months after the patients death. Chart abstraction was completed on all patients, assessing demographic characteristics and previously validated indicators of palliative care. RESULTS Of the 2,016 surveys sent to families, 760 were returned, for a response rate of 38%. Patients whose family members returned the surveys were more likely to be white (88% vs 74%, respectively; p < 0.001); to be older (71 years vs 69 years, respectively; p = 0.015); and to have received more indicators of palliative care, including medical record documentation of family present at death, involvement of spiritual care, and dying after a decision to limit life-sustaining therapies (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Patients whose family members responded to a survey about end-of-life care were more likely to be white, older, and have indicators of palliative care documented in the medical record. Because these patients likely received higher quality palliative care, these findings suggest that the response bias in end-of-life care research is toward overestimating the quality of palliative care. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00685893.

Differences in End-of-Life Care in the ICU Across Patients Cared for by Medicine, Surgery, Neurology, and Neurosurgery Physicians

BACKGROUND Some of the challenges in the delivery of high-quality end-of-life care in the ICU include the variability in the characteristics of patients with certain illnesses and the practice of critical care by different specialties. METHODS We examined whether ICU attending specialty was associated with quality of end-of-life care by using data from a clustered randomized trial of 14 hospitals. Patients died in the ICU or within 30 h of transfer and were categorized by specialty of the attending physician at time of death (medicine, surgery, neurology, or neurosurgery). Outcomes included family ratings of satisfaction, family and nurse ratings of quality of dying, and documentation of palliative care in medical records. Associations were tested using multipredictor regression models adjusted for hospital site and for patient, family, or nurse characteristics. RESULTS Of 3,124 patients, the majority were cared for by an attending physician specializing in medicine (78%), with fewer from surgery (12%), neurology (3%), and neurosurgery (6%). Family satisfaction did not vary by attending specialty. Patients with neurology or neurosurgery attending physicians had higher family and nurse ratings of quality of dying than patients of attending physicians specializing in medicine (P < .05). Patients with surgery attending physicians had lower nurse ratings of quality of dying than patients with medicine attending physicians (P < .05). Chart documentation of indicators of palliative care differed by attending specialty. CONCLUSIONS Patients cared for by neurology and neurosurgery attending physicians have higher family and nurse ratings of quality of dying than patients cared for by medicine attending physicians and have a different pattern of indicators of palliative care. Patients with surgery attending physicians had fewer documented indicators of palliative care. These findings may provide insights into potential ways to improve the quality of dying for all patients. TRIAL REGISTRY ClinicalTrials.gov; No.: NCT00685893; URL: www.clinicaltrials.gov.

Posttraumatic stress disorder among survivors of critical illness: creation of a conceptual model addressing identification, prevention, and management

Quality of life is frequently impaired among survivors of critical illness, and psychiatric morbidity is an important element contributing to poor quality of life in these patients. Among potential manifestations of psychiatric morbidity following critical illness, symptoms of posttraumatic stress are prevalent and intricately linked to the significant stressors present in the intensive care unit (ICU). As our understanding of the epidemiology of post-ICU posttraumatic stress disorder improves, so must our ability to identify those at highest risk for symptoms in the period of time following critical illness and our ability to implement strategies to prevent symptom development. In addition, a focus on strategies to address clinically apparent psychiatric morbidity will be essential. Much remains to be understood about the identification, prevention, and management of this significant public health problem. This article addresses the importance of uniformity in future epidemiologic studies, proposes framing of risk factors into those likely to be modifiable versus non-modifiable, and provides an assessment of modifiable risk factors in the context of a novel conceptual model that offers insight into potential strategies to attenuate symptoms of posttraumatic stress among survivors of critical illness.

Post-discharge insomnia symptoms are associated with quality of life impairment among survivors of acute lung injury

INTRODUCTION Sleep disturbance is common during critical illness, yet little is known about its prevalence or role in post-discharge quality of life among high-risk acute lung injury (ALI) patients. METHODS In a prospective cohort of 61 mechanically ventilated ALI patients, we examined the association between insomnia symptoms and quality of life six months after discharge. Subjects completed surveys rating quality of life (MOS SF-36), post-traumatic stress disorder (PCL), and depression (PHQ-9). Using an individual item from the PCL, we defined insomnia symptoms as moderate or greater trouble falling or staying asleep in the past month. We performed multivariable linear regression to examine the association between insomnia symptoms and SF-36 physical and mental component summary scores, adjusting for PTSD and depression. RESULTS Forty subjects (85% of eligible) completed six-month questionnaires; 20 (50%) met criteria for insomnia symptoms. After adjustment for PTSD and depression, insomnia symptoms remained significantly associated with worse physical component summary scores (adjusted mean difference=-8.8; 95% CI: -15.0, -2.5; P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS Post-discharge insomnia symptoms were common and significantly associated with physical quality of life impairment among six-month ALI survivors, even after adjustment for PTSD and depression symptoms. Further studies are needed to validate these results and to characterize sleep disturbance after ALI using sleep-specific metrics.