Improving Patient and Family Centered Care in Advanced Critical Illness

NCT ID: NCT01844492

Last Updated: 2018-03-20

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

1420 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2012-07-23

Study Completion Date

2016-02-18

Brief Summary

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One in five deaths in the U.S. occurs in or shortly after discharge from an intensive care unit (ICU), typically following decisions made by surrogate decision makers to forego life prolonging treatment. A large body of empirical research has identified deficiencies in care processes that contribute to three important problems: 1) family members often experience poor quality communication with ICU clinicians, leading to lasting psychological distress associated with the ICU experience; 2) patients near the end of life frequently receive invasive, expensive treatment that is inconsistent with their values and preferences, and 3) end-of-life care is a major contributor to health care costs.\[8, 9\] Although advance care planning can prevent some unwanted treatment, many patients wish for a trial of intensive treatment when the prognosis is uncertain, and therefore it seems likely that the need for interventions to improve "in-the-moment" decisions by surrogates will persist.\[10, 11\]

In a pilot project, the investigators developed the PARTNER intervention (PAiring Re-engineered ICU Teams with Nurse-driven Emotional Support and Relationship-building), an interdisciplinary intervention that 1) gives new responsibilities and advanced communication skills training to existing ICU staff (local nurse leaders and social work members of the ICU team); 2) changes care "defaults" to ensure frequent clinician-family meetings; and 3) adds protocolized, nurse-administered coaching and emotional support of surrogates before and during clinician-family meetings. The objective of this proposal is to conduct a stepped wedge randomized controlled trial testing the PARTNER intervention in 5 ICUs among 1000 patients with advanced critical illness and their surrogates.

Detailed Description

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Conditions

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Anxiety Depression

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

SINGLE_GROUP

Sample size listed is for patients (n=1420), for whom 809 surrogates completed long-term follow-up
Primary Study Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Blinding Strategy

SINGLE

Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

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ICU Usual Care Control

described below

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

ICU Usual Care Control

Intervention Type OTHER

The control group will receive usual care, in which the frequency and content of clinician-family communication is determined by the clinical team according to their usual practice. No study ICU has a protocolized approach to family communication and instead clinicians determine the timing and frequency of communication with families. All sites have palliative care services.

The PARTNER Intervention

described below

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

The PARTNER Intervention

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

The PARTNER intervention (PAiring Re-engineered ICU Teams with Nurse-driven Emotional Support and Relationship-building) consists of: 1) institution of a clinical pathway for family support overseen by ICU staff nurses; 2) advanced communication skills training for ICU staff nurses; 3) a multifaceted strategy to support implementation of the clinical pathway for family support.

Interventions

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The PARTNER Intervention

The PARTNER intervention (PAiring Re-engineered ICU Teams with Nurse-driven Emotional Support and Relationship-building) consists of: 1) institution of a clinical pathway for family support overseen by ICU staff nurses; 2) advanced communication skills training for ICU staff nurses; 3) a multifaceted strategy to support implementation of the clinical pathway for family support.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

ICU Usual Care Control

The control group will receive usual care, in which the frequency and content of clinician-family communication is determined by the clinical team according to their usual practice. No study ICU has a protocolized approach to family communication and instead clinicians determine the timing and frequency of communication with families. All sites have palliative care services.

Intervention Type OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* 18 years of age or older
* Surrogate decision maker for ICU patient in one of 5 UPMC ICU's

Exclusion Criteria

* Non-English Speaking
* Surrogate's loved one is for organ transplantation
* Not physically able to participate in family meeting
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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University of Pittsburgh

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Douglas White

MD

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Douglas B. White, MD,MAS

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Pittsburgh

Locations

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University of Pittsburgh Medical Centers

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States

Site Status

Countries

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United States

References

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Angus DC, Barnato AE, Linde-Zwirble WT, Weissfeld LA, Watson RS, Rickert T, Rubenfeld GD; Robert Wood Johnson Foundation ICU End-Of-Life Peer Group. Use of intensive care at the end of life in the United States: an epidemiologic study. Crit Care Med. 2004 Mar;32(3):638-43. doi: 10.1097/01.ccm.0000114816.62331.08.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 15090940 (View on PubMed)

Prendergast TJ, Claessens MT, Luce JM. A national survey of end-of-life care for critically ill patients. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 1998 Oct;158(4):1163-7. doi: 10.1164/ajrccm.158.4.9801108.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 9769276 (View on PubMed)

Azoulay E, Pochard F, Kentish-Barnes N, Chevret S, Aboab J, Adrie C, Annane D, Bleichner G, Bollaert PE, Darmon M, Fassier T, Galliot R, Garrouste-Orgeas M, Goulenok C, Goldgran-Toledano D, Hayon J, Jourdain M, Kaidomar M, Laplace C, Larche J, Liotier J, Papazian L, Poisson C, Reignier J, Saidi F, Schlemmer B; FAMIREA Study Group. Risk of post-traumatic stress symptoms in family members of intensive care unit patients. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2005 May 1;171(9):987-94. doi: 10.1164/rccm.200409-1295OC. Epub 2005 Jan 21.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 15665319 (View on PubMed)

Wendler D, Rid A. Systematic review: the effect on surrogates of making treatment decisions for others. Ann Intern Med. 2011 Mar 1;154(5):336-46. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-154-5-201103010-00008.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 21357911 (View on PubMed)

Lynn J, Teno JM, Phillips RS, Wu AW, Desbiens N, Harrold J, Claessens MT, Wenger N, Kreling B, Connors AF Jr. Perceptions by family members of the dying experience of older and seriously ill patients. SUPPORT Investigators. Study to Understand Prognoses and Preferences for Outcomes and Risks of Treatments. Ann Intern Med. 1997 Jan 15;126(2):97-106. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-126-2-199701150-00001.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 9005760 (View on PubMed)

Murphy DJ, Burrows D, Santilli S, Kemp AW, Tenner S, Kreling B, Teno J. The influence of the probability of survival on patients' preferences regarding cardiopulmonary resuscitation. N Engl J Med. 1994 Feb 24;330(8):545-9. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199402243300807.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 8302322 (View on PubMed)

Weeks JC, Cook EF, O'Day SJ, Peterson LM, Wenger N, Reding D, Harrell FE, Kussin P, Dawson NV, Connors AF Jr, Lynn J, Phillips RS. Relationship between cancer patients' predictions of prognosis and their treatment preferences. JAMA. 1998 Jun 3;279(21):1709-14. doi: 10.1001/jama.279.21.1709.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 9624023 (View on PubMed)

Riley GF, Lubitz JD. Long-term trends in Medicare payments in the last year of life. Health Serv Res. 2010 Apr;45(2):565-76. doi: 10.1111/j.1475-6773.2010.01082.x. Epub 2010 Feb 9.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 20148984 (View on PubMed)

Hogan C, Lunney J, Gabel J, Lynn J. Medicare beneficiaries' costs of care in the last year of life. Health Aff (Millwood). 2001 Jul-Aug;20(4):188-95. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.20.4.188.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 11463076 (View on PubMed)

Fried TR, Bradley EH, Towle VR, Allore H. Understanding the treatment preferences of seriously ill patients. N Engl J Med. 2002 Apr 4;346(14):1061-6. doi: 10.1056/NEJMsa012528.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 11932474 (View on PubMed)

Sudore RL, Fried TR. Redefining the "planning" in advance care planning: preparing for end-of-life decision making. Ann Intern Med. 2010 Aug 17;153(4):256-61. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-153-4-201008170-00008.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 20713793 (View on PubMed)

Schneiderman LJ, Gilmer T, Teetzel HD, Dugan DO, Blustein J, Cranford R, Briggs KB, Komatsu GI, Goodman-Crews P, Cohn F, Young EW. Effect of ethics consultations on nonbeneficial life-sustaining treatments in the intensive care setting: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 2003 Sep 3;290(9):1166-72. doi: 10.1001/jama.290.9.1166.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 12952998 (View on PubMed)

Lautrette A, Darmon M, Megarbane B, Joly LM, Chevret S, Adrie C, Barnoud D, Bleichner G, Bruel C, Choukroun G, Curtis JR, Fieux F, Galliot R, Garrouste-Orgeas M, Georges H, Goldgran-Toledano D, Jourdain M, Loubert G, Reignier J, Saidi F, Souweine B, Vincent F, Barnes NK, Pochard F, Schlemmer B, Azoulay E. A communication strategy and brochure for relatives of patients dying in the ICU. N Engl J Med. 2007 Feb 1;356(5):469-78. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa063446.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 17267907 (View on PubMed)

Andersen SK, Chang CH, Arnold RM, Pidro C, Darby JM, Angus DC, White DB; Pairing Re-engineered Intensive Care Teams with Nurse-driven Emotional Support, Relationship building (PARTNER) Investigators. Impact of a family support intervention on hospitalization costs and hospital readmissions among ICU patients at high risk of death or severe functional impairment. Ann Intensive Care. 2024 Jul 2;14(1):103. doi: 10.1186/s13613-024-01344-9.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 38954149 (View on PubMed)

White DB, Angus DC, Shields AM, Buddadhumaruk P, Pidro C, Paner C, Chaitin E, Chang CH, Pike F, Weissfeld L, Kahn JM, Darby JM, Kowinsky A, Martin S, Arnold RM; PARTNER Investigators. A Randomized Trial of a Family-Support Intervention in Intensive Care Units. N Engl J Med. 2018 Jun 21;378(25):2365-2375. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1802637. Epub 2018 May 23.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 29791247 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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PRO13020304

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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