Integrating palliative and critical care: evaluation of a quality-improvement intervention.

ABSTRACT:

Rationale

Palliative care in the intensive care unit (ICU) is an important focus for quality improvement.

Objectives

To evaluate the effectiveness of a multi-faceted quality improvement intervention to improve palliative care in the ICU.

Methods

We performed a single-hospital, before-after study of a quality-improvement intervention to improve palliative care in the ICU. The intervention consisted of clinician education, local champions, academic detailing, feedback to clinicians, and system support. Consecutive patients who died in the ICU were identified pre- (n = 253) and postintervention (n = 337). Families completed Family Satisfaction in the Intensive Care Unit (FS-ICU) and Quality of Dying and Death (QODD) surveys. Nurses completed the QODD. The QODD and FS-ICU

SUBMITTER: Curtis JR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2542424 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature