Barriers to recruitment into emergency department-initiated palliative care: a sub-study of a multi-site, randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Emergency department (ED) visits among older adults are common near the end of life. Palliative care has been shown to reduce ED visits and to increase quality of life among patients, but recruitment into these programs is often challenging. This descriptive analysis explores the barriers to enrolling seriously ill patients scheduled for discharge from the ED into palliative care research. METHODS: This descriptive sub-study aims to assess the reasons why patients with advanced illness scheduled for discharge home from 11 EDs across the United States decline to participate in Emergency Medicine Palliative Care Access (EMPallA), a Phase IV randomized controlled trial (RCT) comparing two modes of palliative care delivery. Our aim was to understand why patients decline to enroll to improve future recruitment rates and expand care for patients discharged home from the ED. Research coordinators documented reasons that patients declined to enroll in the larger EMPallA trial; reasons for refusing participation were independently analyzed by two researchers to identify overarching themes. RESULTS: Enrollment rate across all sites was 45%; of the 504 eligible patients who declined participation, 47% (n = 237) declined for reasons related to illness severity. 28% of refusals (n = 143) were related to the mode of palliative care delivery, while 24% (n = 123) were due to misconceptions or stigma related to palliative care. Less commonly, patients refused due to general research barriers (16.5%), family/caregiver barriers (11.7%), and physician-related barriers (< 1%). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with advanced illnesses presenting to the ED often refuse to participate in palliative care research due to the severity of their illness, the mode of care delivery, and misconceptions about palliative care. In contrast with other studies, our study found minimal physician gatekeeping, which may be the result of both changing attitudes toward palliative care and the nature of the ED setting. Robust training programs are crucial to overcome these misconceptions and to educate patients and providers about the role of palliative care. Future palliative care programs and study designs should recognize the burden this vulnerable population endures and consider alternative modes of care delivery in an effort to increase participation and enrollment. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION: NCT03325985 , October 30, 2017.

Pragmatic Considerations in Incorporating Stakeholder Engagement Into a Palliative Care Transitions Study.

BACKGROUND: Stakeholder involvement in health care research has been shown to improve research development, processes, and dissemination. The literature is developing on stakeholder engagement methods and preliminarily validated tools for evaluating stakeholder level of engagement have been proposed for specific stakeholder groups and settings. OBJECTIVES: This paper describes the methodology for engaging a Study Advisory Committee (SAC) in research and reports on the use of a stakeholder engagement survey for measuring level of engagement. METHODS: Stakeholders with previous research connections were recruited to the SAC during the planning process for a multicenter randomized control clinical trial, which is ongoing at the time of this writing. All SAC meetings undergo qualitative analysis, while the Stakeholder Engagement Survey instrument developed by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) is distributed annually for quantitative evaluation. RESULTS: The trial's SAC is composed of 18 members from 3 stakeholder groups: patients and their caregivers; patient advocacy organizations; and health care payers. After an initial in-person meeting, the SAC meets quarterly by telephone and annually in-person. The SAC monitors research progress and provides feedback on all study processes. The stakeholder engagement survey reveals improved engagement over time as well as continued challenges. CONCLUSIONS: Stakeholder engagement in the research process has meaningfully contributed to the study design, patient recruitment, and preliminary analysis of findings.

Data from emergency medicine palliative care access (EMPallA): a randomized controlled trial comparing the effectiveness of specialty outpatient versus telephonic palliative care of older adults with advanced illness presenting to the emergency department.

BACKGROUND: The Emergency Medicine Palliative Care Access (EMPallA) trial is a large, multicenter, parallel, two-arm randomized controlled trial in emergency department (ED) patients comparing two models of palliative care: nurse-led telephonic case management and specialty, outpatient palliative care. This report aims to: 1) report baseline demographic and quality of life (QOL) data for the EMPallA cohort, 2) identify the association between illness type and baseline QOL while controlling for other factors, and 3) explore baseline relationships between illness type, symptom burden, and loneliness. METHODS: Patients aged 50+ years with advanced cancer (metastatic solid tumor) or end-stage organ failure (New York Heart Association Class III or IV heart failure, end stage renal disease with glomerular filtration rate < 15 mL/min/m2, or Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease Stage III, IV, or oxygen-dependent chronic obstructive pulmonary disease defined as FEV1 < 50%) are eligible for enrollment. Baseline data includes self-reported demographics, QOL measured by the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G), loneliness measured by the Three-Item UCLA Loneliness Scale, and symptom burden measured by the Edmonton Revised Symptom Assessment Scale. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze demographic variables, a linear regression model measured the importance of illness type in predicting QOL, and chi-square tests of independence were used to quantify relationships between illness type, symptom burden, and loneliness. RESULTS: Between April 2018 and April 3, 2020, 500 patients were enrolled. On average, end-stage organ failure patients had lower QOL as measured by the FACT-G scale than cancer patients with an estimated difference of 9.6 points (95% CI: 5.9, 13.3), and patients with multiple conditions had a further reduction of 7.4 points (95% CI: 2.4, 12.5), when adjusting for age, education level, race, sex, immigrant status, presence of a caregiver, and hospital setting. Symptom burden and loneliness were greater in end-stage organ failure than in cancer. CONCLUSIONS: The EMPallA trial is enrolling a diverse sample of ED patients. Differences by illness type in QOL, symptom burden, and loneliness demonstrate how distinct disease trajectories manifest in the ED. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT03325985 . Registered October 30, 2017.

Development of an Outpatient Palliative Care Protocol to Monitor Fidelity in the Emergency Medicine Palliative Care Access Trial.

Introduction: Palliative care is recommended for patients with life-limiting illnesses; however, there are few standardized protocols for outpatient palliative care visits. To address the paucity of data, this article aims to: (1) describe the elements of outpatient palliative care that are generalizable across clinical sites; (2) achieve consensus about standardized instruments used to assess domains within outpatient palliative care; and (3) develop a protocol and intervention checklist for palliative care clinicians to document outpatient visit elements that might not normally be recorded in the electronic heath record. Methods: As part of a randomized control trial of nurse-led telephonic case management versus specialty, outpatient palliative care in older adults with serious life-limiting illnesses in the Emergency Department, we assessed the structural characteristics of outpatient care clinics across nine participating health care systems. In addition, direct observation of outpatient palliative care visits, consultation from content experts, and survey data were used to develop an outpatient palliative care protocol and intervention checklist. Implementation: The protocol and checklist are being used to document the contents of each outpatient palliative care visit conducted as a part of the Emergency Medicine Palliative Care Access (EMPallA) trial. Variation across palliative care team staffing, clinic session capacity, and physical clinic model presents a challenge to standardizing the delivery of outpatient palliative care.

Co-designed PICU Family Stress Screening and Response System to Improve Experience, Quality, and Safety.

OBJECTIVE: Evidence for successful and sustainable models that systematically identify and address family stress in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) remains scarce. Using an integrated improvement science and family engagement framework, we implemented a standardized family stress screening tool and response protocol to improve family experience and reduce family crises through the timely coordination of parent support interventions. METHODS: We conducted this improvement initiative in the 12-bed PICU of a children's hospital within a large, urban academic medical center. Our team, which included 2 family advisors, adapted a validated Distress Thermometer for use in pediatric intensive care. A co-designed family stress screening tool and response protocol were iteratively tested, refined, and implemented in 2015-2017. Process and outcome measures included screening and response reliability, parent satisfaction, and security calls for distressed families. RESULTS: Over the 18 months, the percentage of families screened for stress increased from 0% to 100%. Among families who rated stress levels ≥5, 100% received the recommended response protocol, including family support referrals made and completed within 24 hours of an elevated stress rating. From 2015 to 2017, PICU parent satisfaction scores regarding emotional support increased from a mean score of 81.7-87.0 (P < 0.01; 95% CI). The number of security calls for distressed families decreased by 50%. CONCLUSIONS: The successful implementation of a co-designed family stress screening tool and response protocol led to the timely coordination of parent support interventions, the improved family perception of emotional support, and reduced family crises in the PICU.

Emergency Medicine Palliative Care Access (EMPallA): protocol for a multicentre randomised controlled trial comparing the effectiveness of specialty outpatient versus nurse-led telephonic palliative care of older adults with advanced illness.

INTRODUCTION: Emergency department (ED)-initiated palliative care has been shown to improve patient-centred outcomes in older adults with serious, life-limiting illnesses. However, the optimal modality for providing such interventions is unknown. This study aims to compare nurse-led telephonic case management to specialty outpatient palliative care for older adults with serious, life-limiting illness on: (1) quality of life in patients; (2) healthcare utilisation; (3) loneliness and symptom burden and (4) caregiver strain, caregiver quality of life and bereavement. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This is a protocol for a pragmatic, multicentre, parallel, two-arm randomised controlled trial in ED patients comparing two established models of palliative care: nurse-led telephonic case management and specialty, outpatient palliative care. We will enrol 1350 patients aged 50+ years and 675 of their caregivers across nine EDs. Eligible patients: (1) have advanced cancer (metastatic solid tumour) or end-stage organ failure (New York Heart Association class III or IV heart failure, end-stage renal disease with glomerular filtration rate <15 mL/min/m2, or global initiative for chronic obstructive lung disease stage III, IV or oxygen-dependent chronic obstructive pulmonary disease); (2) speak English; (3) are scheduled for ED discharge or observation status; (4) reside locally; (5) have a working telephone and (6) are insured. Patients will be excluded if they: (1) have dementia; (2) have received hospice care or two or more palliative care visits in the last 6 months or (3) reside in a long-term care facility. We will use patient-level block randomisation, stratified by ED site and disease. Effectiveness will be compared by measuring the impact of each intervention on the specified outcomes. The primary outcome will measure change in patient quality of life. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Institutional Review Board approval was obtained at all study sites. Trial results will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT03325985; Pre-results.

Lifetime economic impact of the burden of childhood stunting attributable to maternal psychosocial risk factors in 137 low/middle-income countries.

INTRODUCTION: The first 1000 days of life is a period of great potential and vulnerability. In particular, physical growth of children can be affected by the lack of access to basic needs as well as psychosocial factors, such as maternal depression. The objectives of the present study are to: (1) quantify the burden of childhood stunting in low/middle-income countries attributable to psychosocial risk factors; and (2) estimate the related lifetime economic costs. METHODS: A comparative risk assessment analysis was performed with data from 137 low/middle-income countries throughout Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, North Africa and the Middle East, and sub-Saharan Africa. The proportion of stunting prevalence, defined as <-2 SDs from the median height for age according to the WHO Child Growth Standards, and the number of cases attributable to low maternal education, intimate partner violence (IPV), maternal depression and orphanhood were calculated. The joint effect of psychosocial risk factors on stunting was estimated. The economic impact, as reflected in the total future income losses per birth cohort, was examined. RESULTS: Approximately 7.2 million cases of stunting in low/middle-income countries were attributable to psychosocial factors. The leading risk factor was maternal depression with 3.2 million cases attributable. Maternal depression also demonstrated the greatest economic cost at $14.5 billion, followed by low maternal education ($10.0 billion) and IPV ($8.5 billion). The joint cost of these risk factors was $29.3 billion per birth cohort. CONCLUSION: The cost of neglecting these psychosocial risk factors is significant. Improving access to formal secondary school education for girls may offset the risk of maternal depression, IPV and orphanhood. Focusing on maternal depression may play a key role in reducing the burden of stunting. Overall, addressing psychosocial factors among perinatal women can have a significant impact on child growth and well-being in the developing world.