Effect of Intensivist Communication on Surrogate Prognosis Interpretation

NCT ID: NCT04239209

Last Updated: 2020-01-27

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

Get a concise snapshot of the trial, including recruitment status, study phase, enrollment targets, and key timeline milestones.

Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

302 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2019-09-27

Study Completion Date

2019-10-17

Brief Summary

Review the sponsor-provided synopsis that highlights what the study is about and why it is being conducted.

This study evaluates the effect of physician communication styles on the interpretation of prognosis by family members of chronically-ill patients. Participants were randomized to view one of four videos how depicting different physicians disclose prognosis when physicians expect an ICU patient to die.

Detailed Description

Dive into the extended narrative that explains the scientific background, objectives, and procedures in greater depth.

Intensivist-surrogate discordance about prognosis is common in the intensive care unit. Minimizing discordance and empowering families to make informed decisions about participants' loved one's care is important, but it is unclear how best to communicate prognostic information to vulnerable surrogates when a patient is expected to die. Participants are randomized to view one of 4 intensivist communication styles in response to the question "What do you think is most likely to happen?": 1) a direct response (control), 2) an indirect response comparing the patient's condition to other patients, 3) an indirect response describing physiology, or 4) redirection to a discussion of patient values and goals.

The participant will then be asked a series of questions to measure participants' interpretation of what the intensivist says.

Conditions

See the medical conditions and disease areas that this research is targeting or investigating.

Critical Illness

Study Design

Understand how the trial is structured, including allocation methods, masking strategies, primary purpose, and other design elements.

Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Participants are randomized in a 1:1:1:1 ratio to view a video depicting one of four different ways intensivists answered a patient surrogate's prognostic question "What do you think is most likely to happen?" during a simulated ICU family meeting.
Primary Study Purpose

OTHER

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

Review each arm or cohort in the study, along with the interventions and objectives associated with them.

Direct Communication (control)

A direct response where the intensivist acknowledges that he is not certain but believes the patient will not survive hospitalization.

Group Type PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

Direct communication

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Video of a direct response.

Indirect - other patients

An indirect response describing the prognosis of other people similar to the patient in question.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Indirect - other patients

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Video depicting an indirect response focusing on a comparison to other patients.

Indirect - physiology

An indirect response describing the severe physiologic abnormalities present in the patient and potential future problems.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Indirect - physiology

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Video of an indirect response focusing on the physiology of the patient.

Redirection

Redirection to a conversation about the values of the patient and possible future decisions.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Redirection

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Video of a redirection towards discussing the patient's values and possible future decisions.

Interventions

Learn about the drugs, procedures, or behavioral strategies being tested and how they are applied within this trial.

Indirect - other patients

Video depicting an indirect response focusing on a comparison to other patients.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Indirect - physiology

Video of an indirect response focusing on the physiology of the patient.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Redirection

Video of a redirection towards discussing the patient's values and possible future decisions.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Direct communication

Video of a direct response.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Check the participation requirements, including inclusion and exclusion rules, age limits, and whether healthy volunteers are accepted.

Inclusion Criteria

* spouse/partner, sibling, or adult child of a patient with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) on home oxygen
* over age 18

Exclusion Criteria

* ever working in healthcare as a nurse, advanced practice provider, or physician
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

Meet the organizations funding or collaborating on the study and learn about their roles.

Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Johns Hopkins University

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

Identify the individual or organization who holds primary responsibility for the study information submitted to regulators.

Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Learn about the lead researchers overseeing the trial and their institutional affiliations.

Alison E Turnbull, DVM MPH PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Johns Hopkins University

Locations

Explore where the study is taking place and check the recruitment status at each participating site.

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, Maryland, United States

Site Status

Countries

Review the countries where the study has at least one active or historical site.

United States

References

Explore related publications, articles, or registry entries linked to this study.

Fischer S, Min SJ, Cervantes L, Kutner J. Where do you want to spend your last days of life? Low concordance between preferred and actual site of death among hospitalized adults. J Hosp Med. 2013 Apr;8(4):178-83. doi: 10.1002/jhm.2018. Epub 2013 Feb 25.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 23440934 (View on PubMed)

Barnato AE, Herndon MB, Anthony DL, Gallagher PM, Skinner JS, Bynum JP, Fisher ES. Are regional variations in end-of-life care intensity explained by patient preferences?: A Study of the US Medicare Population. Med Care. 2007 May;45(5):386-93. doi: 10.1097/01.mlr.0000255248.79308.41.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 17446824 (View on PubMed)

Auriemma CL, Nguyen CA, Bronheim R, Kent S, Nadiger S, Pardo D, Halpern SD. Stability of end-of-life preferences: a systematic review of the evidence. JAMA Intern Med. 2014 Jul;174(7):1085-92. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2014.1183.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 24861560 (View on PubMed)

Needham DM, Bronskill SE, Calinawan JR, Sibbald WJ, Pronovost PJ, Laupacis A. Projected incidence of mechanical ventilation in Ontario to 2026: Preparing for the aging baby boomers. Crit Care Med. 2005 Mar;33(3):574-9. doi: 10.1097/01.ccm.0000155992.21174.31.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 15753749 (View on PubMed)

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)

Teno JM, Gozalo P, Trivedi AN, Bunker J, Lima J, Ogarek J, Mor V. Site of Death, Place of Care, and Health Care Transitions Among US Medicare Beneficiaries, 2000-2015. JAMA. 2018 Jul 17;320(3):264-271. doi: 10.1001/jama.2018.8981.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 29946682 (View on PubMed)

Teno JM, Gozalo P, Khandelwal N, Curtis JR, Meltzer D, Engelberg R, Mor V. Association of Increasing Use of Mechanical Ventilation Among Nursing Home Residents With Advanced Dementia and Intensive Care Unit Beds. JAMA Intern Med. 2016 Dec 1;176(12):1809-1816. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2016.5964.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 27723891 (View on PubMed)

Wunsch H, Linde-Zwirble WT, Harrison DA, Barnato AE, Rowan KM, Angus DC. Use of intensive care services during terminal hospitalizations in England and the United States. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2009 Nov 1;180(9):875-80. doi: 10.1164/rccm.200902-0201OC. Epub 2009 Aug 27.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 19713448 (View on PubMed)

Bekelman JE, Halpern SD, Blankart CR, Bynum JP, Cohen J, Fowler R, Kaasa S, Kwietniewski L, Melberg HO, Onwuteaka-Philipsen B, Oosterveld-Vlug M, Pring A, Schreyogg J, Ulrich CM, Verne J, Wunsch H, Emanuel EJ; International Consortium for End-of-Life Research (ICELR). Comparison of Site of Death, Health Care Utilization, and Hospital Expenditures for Patients Dying With Cancer in 7 Developed Countries. JAMA. 2016 Jan 19;315(3):272-83. doi: 10.1001/jama.2015.18603.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 26784775 (View on PubMed)

Wright AA, Keating NL, Balboni TA, Matulonis UA, Block SD, Prigerson HG. Place of death: correlations with quality of life of patients with cancer and predictors of bereaved caregivers' mental health. J Clin Oncol. 2010 Oct 10;28(29):4457-64. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2009.26.3863. Epub 2010 Sep 13.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 20837950 (View on PubMed)

Halpern SD, Becker D, Curtis JR, Fowler R, Hyzy R, Kaplan LJ, Rawat N, Sessler CN, Wunsch H, Kahn JM; Choosing Wisely Taskforce; American Thoracic Society; American Association of Critical-Care Nurses; Society of Critical Care Medicine. An official American Thoracic Society/American Association of Critical-Care Nurses/American College of Chest Physicians/Society of Critical Care Medicine policy statement: the Choosing Wisely(R) Top 5 list in Critical Care Medicine. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2014 Oct 1;190(7):818-26. doi: 10.1164/rccm.201407-1317ST.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 25271745 (View on PubMed)

Silveira MJ, Kim SY, Langa KM. Advance directives and outcomes of surrogate decision making before death. N Engl J Med. 2010 Apr 1;362(13):1211-8. doi: 10.1056/NEJMsa0907901.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 20357283 (View on PubMed)

Turnbull AE, Hartog CS. Goal-concordant care in the ICU: a conceptual framework for future research. Intensive Care Med. 2017 Dec;43(12):1847-1849. doi: 10.1007/s00134-017-4873-2. Epub 2017 Jun 27. No abstract available.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 28656453 (View on PubMed)

Committee on Approaching Death: Addressing Key End of Life Issues; Institute of Medicine. Dying in America: Improving Quality and Honoring Individual Preferences Near the End of Life. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2015 Mar 19. Available from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK285681/

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 25927121 (View on PubMed)

Lee Char SJ, Evans LR, Malvar GL, White DB. A randomized trial of two methods to disclose prognosis to surrogate decision makers in intensive care units. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2010 Oct 1;182(7):905-9. doi: 10.1164/rccm.201002-0262OC. Epub 2010 Jun 10.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 20538959 (View on PubMed)

Barnato AE, Arnold RM. The effect of emotion and physician communication behaviors on surrogates' life-sustaining treatment decisions: a randomized simulation experiment. Crit Care Med. 2013 Jul;41(7):1686-91. doi: 10.1097/CCM.0b013e31828a233d.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 23660727 (View on PubMed)

White DB, Ernecoff N, Buddadhumaruk P, Hong S, Weissfeld L, Curtis JR, Luce JM, Lo B. Prevalence of and Factors Related to Discordance About Prognosis Between Physicians and Surrogate Decision Makers of Critically Ill Patients. JAMA. 2016 May 17;315(19):2086-94. doi: 10.1001/jama.2016.5351.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 27187301 (View on PubMed)

Fried TR, Bradley EH, O'Leary J. Prognosis communication in serious illness: perceptions of older patients, caregivers, and clinicians. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2003 Oct;51(10):1398-403. doi: 10.1046/j.1532-5415.2003.51457.x.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 14511159 (View on PubMed)

Chiarchiaro J, Buddadhumaruk P, Arnold RM, White DB. Quality of communication in the ICU and surrogate's understanding of prognosis. Crit Care Med. 2015 Mar;43(3):542-8. doi: 10.1097/CCM.0000000000000719.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 25687030 (View on PubMed)

Boyd EA, Lo B, Evans LR, Malvar G, Apatira L, Luce JM, White DB. "It's not just what the doctor tells me:" factors that influence surrogate decision-makers' perceptions of prognosis. Crit Care Med. 2010 May;38(5):1270-5. doi: 10.1097/CCM.0b013e3181d8a217.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 20228686 (View on PubMed)

Verceles AC, Corwin DS, Afshar M, Friedman EB, McCurdy MT, Shanholtz C, Oakjones K, Zubrow MT, Titus J, Netzer G. Half of the family members of critically ill patients experience excessive daytime sleepiness. Intensive Care Med. 2014 Aug;40(8):1124-31. doi: 10.1007/s00134-014-3347-z. Epub 2014 Jun 5.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 24898893 (View on PubMed)

Glick DR, Motta M, Wiegand DL, Range P, Reed RM, Verceles AC, Shah NG, Netzer G. Anticipatory grief and impaired problem solving among surrogate decision makers of critically ill patients: A cross-sectional study. Intensive Crit Care Nurs. 2018 Dec;49:1-5. doi: 10.1016/j.iccn.2018.07.006. Epub 2018 Jul 26.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 30057337 (View on PubMed)

Pochard F, Azoulay E, Chevret S, Lemaire F, Hubert P, Canoui P, Grassin M, Zittoun R, le Gall JR, Dhainaut JF, Schlemmer B; French FAMIREA Group. Symptoms of anxiety and depression in family members of intensive care unit patients: ethical hypothesis regarding decision-making capacity. Crit Care Med. 2001 Oct;29(10):1893-7. doi: 10.1097/00003246-200110000-00007.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 11588447 (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)

Paulus MP, Yu AJ. Emotion and decision-making: affect-driven belief systems in anxiety and depression. Trends Cogn Sci. 2012 Sep;16(9):476-83. doi: 10.1016/j.tics.2012.07.009. Epub 2012 Aug 13.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 22898207 (View on PubMed)

Turnbull AE, Hashem MD, Rabiee A, To A, Chessare CM, Needham DM. Evaluation of a strategy for enrolling the families of critically ill patients in research using limited human resources. PLoS One. 2017 May 25;12(5):e0177741. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0177741. eCollection 2017.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 28542632 (View on PubMed)

Schwarzkopf D, Behrend S, Skupin H, Westermann I, Riedemann NC, Pfeifer R, Gunther A, Witte OW, Reinhart K, Hartog CS. Family satisfaction in the intensive care unit: a quantitative and qualitative analysis. Intensive Care Med. 2013 Jun;39(6):1071-9. doi: 10.1007/s00134-013-2862-7. Epub 2013 Feb 16.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 23417207 (View on PubMed)

Bein T, Hackner K, Zou T, Schultes S, Bosch T, Schlitt HJ, Graf BM, Olden M, Leitzmann M. Socioeconomic status, severity of disease and level of family members' care in adult surgical intensive care patients: the prospective ECSSTASI study. Intensive Care Med. 2012 Apr;38(4):612-9. doi: 10.1007/s00134-012-2463-x. Epub 2012 Jan 25.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 22273749 (View on PubMed)

Bahadori K, FitzGerald JM. Risk factors of hospitalization and readmission of patients with COPD exacerbation--systematic review. Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis. 2007;2(3):241-51.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 18229562 (View on PubMed)

Turnbull AE, Krall JR, Ruhl AP, Curtis JR, Halpern SD, Lau BM, Needham DM. A scenario-based, randomized trial of patient values and functional prognosis on intensivist intent to discuss withdrawing life support. Crit Care Med. 2014 Jun;42(6):1455-62. doi: 10.1097/CCM.0000000000000227.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 24584065 (View on PubMed)

Turnbull AE, Hayes MM, Brower RG, Colantuoni E, Basyal PS, White DB, Curtis JR, Needham DM. Effect of Documenting Prognosis on the Information Provided to ICU Proxies: A Randomized Trial. Crit Care Med. 2019 Jun;47(6):757-764. doi: 10.1097/CCM.0000000000003731.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 30882479 (View on PubMed)

Oppenheim IM, Lee EM, Vasher ST, Zaeh SE, Hart JL, Turnbull AE. Effect of Intensivist Communication in a Simulated Setting on Interpretation of Prognosis Among Family Members of Patients at High Risk of Intensive Care Unit Admission: A Randomized Trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2020 Apr 1;3(4):e201945. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.1945.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 32236533 (View on PubMed)

Related Links

Access external resources that provide additional context or updates about the study.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23440934

link to pubmed abstract for this pmid 23440934

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17446824

link to pubmed abstract for this pmid 17446824

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24861560

link to pubmed abstract for this pmid 24861560

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15753749

link to pubmed abstract for this pmid 15753749

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15090940

link to pubmed abstract for this pmid 15090940

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29946682

link to pubmed abstract for this pmid 29946682

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27723891

link to pubmed abstract for this pmid 27723891

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19713448

link to pubmed abstract for this pmid 19713448

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26784775

link to pubmed abstract for this pmid 26784775

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20837950

link to pubmed abstract for this pmid 20837950

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25271745

link to pubmed abstract for this pmid 25271745

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20357283

link to pubmed abstract for this pmid 20357283

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28656453

link to pubmed abstract for this pmid 28656453

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25927121

link to pubmed abstract for this pmid 25927121

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20538959

link to pubmed abstract for this pmid 20538959

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23660727

link to pubmed abstract for this pmid 23660727

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27187301

link to pubmed abstract for this pmid 27187301

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14511159

link to pubmed abstract for this pmid 14511159

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25687030

link to pubmed abstract for this pmid 25687030

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20228686

link to pubmed abstract for this pmid 20228686

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24898893

link to pubmed abstract for this pmid 24898893

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30057337

link to pubmed abstract for this pmid 30057337

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11588447

link to pubmed abstract for this pmid 11588447

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15665319

link to pubmed abstract for this pmid 15665319

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22898207

link to pubmed abstract for this pmid 22898207

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28542632

link to pubmed abstract for this pmid 28542632

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23417207

link to pubmed abstract for this pmid 23417207

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22273749

link to pubmed abstract for this pmid 22273749

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18229562

link to pubmed abstract for this pmid 18229562

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24584065

link to pubmed abstract for this pmid 24584065

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30882479

link to pubmed abstract for this pmid 30882479

Other Identifiers

Review additional registry numbers or institutional identifiers associated with this trial.

IRB00204036

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

More Related Trials

Additional clinical trials that may be relevant based on similarity analysis.