Investigating conflict in ICUs-is the clinicians' perspective enough?

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Most studies have assessed conflict between clinicians and surrogate decision makers in ICUs from only clinicians' perspectives. It is unknown if surrogates' perceptions differ from clinicians'. We sought to determine the degree of agreement between physicians and surrogates about conflict and to identify predictors of physician-surrogate conflict.

Design

Prospective cohort study.

Setting

Four ICUs of two hospitals in San Francisco, California.

Patients

Two hundred and thirty surrogate decision makers and 100 physicians of 175 critically ill patients.

Measurements

Questionnaires addressing participants' perceptions of whether there was physician-surrogate conflict, as well as attitudes and preferences about clinician-surrogate communication; κ

SUBMITTER: Schuster RA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3902111 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature