Advance care planning and end-of-life decision making in dialysis: a randomized controlled trial targeting patients and their surrogates.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Few trials have examined long-term outcomes of advance care planning (ACP) interventions. We examined the efficacy of an ACP intervention on preparation for end-of-life decision making for dialysis patients and surrogates and for surrogates' bereavement outcomes.

Study design

A randomized trial compared an ACP intervention (Sharing Patient's Illness Representations to Increase Trust [SPIRIT]) to usual care alone, with blinded outcome assessments.

Setting & participants

420 participants (210 dyads of prevalent dialysis patients and their surrogates) from 20 dialysis centers.

Intervention

Every dyad received usual care. Those randomly assigned to SPIRIT had an in-depth ACP discussion at the center and a follow-up session at home 2 weeks later.

Outco

SUBMITTER: Song MK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5972830 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature