Journal of palliative medicine
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Effectiveness of an Algorithmic Approach to Ventilator Withdrawal at the End of Life: A Stepped Wedge Cluster Randomized Trial.
Background: The transition to spontaneous breathing puts patients who are undergoing ventilator withdrawal at high risk for developing respiratory distress. A patient-centered algorithmic approach could standardize this process and meet unique patient needs because a single approach (weaning vs. one-step extubation) does not capture the needs of a heterogenous population undergoing this palliative procedure. Objectives: (1) Demonstrate that the algorithmic approach can be effective to ensure greater patient respiratory comfort compared to usual care; (2) determine differences in opioid or benzodiazepine use; (3) predict factors associated with duration of survival. ⋯ Conclusions: The algorithm was effective in ensuring patient respiratory comfort. Surprisingly, more medication was given in the usual care arm; however, less may be needed when distress is objectively measured (RDOS), and treatment is initiated as soon as distress develops as in the algorithm. Clinical Trial Registration number: NCT03121391.
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Background: End-of-life (EoL) care provided to Americans in urban and rural settings is distinct in terms of both available and delivered services. However, much less is known about which geographic, demographic, and health indicators are associated with disparities in EoL care and how individual versus regional characteristics influence quality of care (QoC). Objective: This study aimed to assess how regionality, rurality, and individual socioeconomic factors are associated with QoC in the last month of life (LML). ⋯ County rurality index and county health factors were not correlated with QoC in the LML. Conclusions: High QoC at the EoL may be more associated with individual socioeconomic factors than regional indicators, including degrees of rurality. Clinicians should strive to recognize the interplay of individual characteristics and regional indicators to provide more personalized care.
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Case Reports
Emergency Palliative Care: Patient With Cancer Diagnosis and Escalating Symptom Burden.
In this segment of the emergency department (ED) palliative care (PC) case series, we present a patient with advanced cancer not yet followed by PC or on hospice, who presents to the ED overnight with worsening nausea, vomiting, and acute on chronic abdominal pain. The ED team works to stabilize and treat the patient, reaches out to his oncologist, and seeks remote support and guidance from the on-call PC clinician. After a rapid "just-in-time" training, the ED clinician is able to have a focused goals-of-care conversation with the patient and his family and make person-centered recommendations. The patient is briefly admitted to the intensive care unit for ongoing medical optimization and symptom management, and then subsequently discharged home on hospice in alignment with his elucidated goals.
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Background: Communication and interpersonal skills are essential medical components of oncology patient care. Patients and families rely on physicians for treatment, expertise, guidance, hope, meaning, and compassion throughout a life-threatening illness. A provider's inability to empathize with patients is linked to physician-related fatigue and burnout. ⋯ Fifteen workshops have been completed. Each focused on navigating challenging situations with patients, loved ones, or colleagues. Conclusions: Future directions of the curriculum will entail improving the communication skills of oncology trainees and gathering communication improvement data to assess the program's success formally.