Using Nurse Ratings of Physician Communication in the ICU To Identify Potential Targets for Interventions To Improve End-of-Life Care.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Communication among doctors, nurses, and families contributes to high-quality end-of-life care, but is difficult to improve.

Objective

Our objective was to identify aspects of communication appropriate for interventions to improve quality of dying in the intensive care unit (ICU).

Methods

This observational study used data from a cluster-randomized trial of an interdisciplinary intervention to improve end-of-life care at 15 Seattle/Tacoma area hospitals (2003-2008). Nurses completed surveys for patients dying in the ICU. We examined associations between nurse-assessed predictors (physician-nurse communication, physician-family communication) and nurse ratings of patients' quality of dying (nurse-QODD-1).

Results

Based on 1173 nurse surveys, four of s

SUBMITTER: Ramos KJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4779274 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature