Pragmatic methods to avoid intensive care unit admission when it does not align with patient and family goals.

ABSTRACT: For patients with chronic, life-limiting illnesses, admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) near the end of life might not improve patient outcomes or be consistent with patient and family values, goals, and preferences. In this context, advance care planning and palliative care interventions designed to clarify patients' values, goals, and preferences have the potential to reduce provision of high-intensity interventions that are unwanted or non-beneficial. In this Series paper, we have assessed interventions that are effective at helping patients with chronic, life-limiting illnesses to avoid an unwanted ICU admission. The evidence found was largely from observational studies, with considerable heterogeneity in populations, methods, and types of interventions. Results from randomised

SUBMITTER: Khandelwal N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6733408 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature