POLST recall, concordance, and decision quality outcomes among nursing home residents and surrogate decision-makers.

BACKGROUND: POLST orders are actionable in an emergency, so it is important that the decisions be of high quality and concordant with current preferences. The goal of this study is to determine the relationship between concordance and decision quality outcomes, including decision satisfaction and decisional conflict, among nursing facility residents and surrogates who recall POLST. METHODS: We completed structured interviews in 29 nursing facilities with 275 participants who had previously signed a POLST form. This included residents who were still making their own medical decisions (n = 123) and surrogate decision-makers for residents without decisional capacity (n = 152). POLST recall was defined as remembering talking about and/or completing the POLST form previously signed by the participant. Concordance was determined by comparing preferences elicited during a standardized interview with the POLST form on file. Decisional conflict, decision satisfaction, and conversation quality were assessed with standardized tools. RESULTS: Half of participants (50%) remembered talking about or completing the POLST form, but recall was not associated with the length of time since POLST completion or concordance with existing preferences. In multivariable analyses, there was no association between POLST recall, concordance, and decision quality outcomes, though satisfaction was associated with conversation quality. CONCLUSIONS: Half of the residents and surrogates in this study recalled the POLST they previously signed. Neither the age of the form nor the ability to recall the POLST conversation should be considered indicators of whether existing POLST orders match current preferences. Findings confirm a relationship between POLST conversation quality and satisfaction, underscoring the importance of POLST completion as a communication process.

Reasons for Discordance Between Life-Sustaining Treatment Preferences and Medical Orders in Nursing Facilities Without POLST.

BACKGROUND: Life-sustaining treatment (LST) orders are important communication tools used to ensure preference-concordant care at the end of life. Recent studies reveal concerning rates of discordance between current preferences and documented LST orders, especially in nursing facilities without POLST. Reasons for discordance in facilities using POLST have been explored, however the majority of nursing facilities in the United States do not yet use the POLST form. DESIGN: Qualitative descriptive study using constant comparative analysis. SETTING: Nursing facilities in Indiana (n = 6) not using POLST. PARTICIPANTS: Residents (n = 15) and surrogate decision-makers of residents without decisional capacity (n = 15) with discordance between current preferences and documented LST orders. MEASUREMENTS: Do not resuscitate, do not hospitalize (DNH), and do not intubate (DNI) orders were extracted from medical charts. Current preferences were elicited using the Respecting Choices Advanced Steps model. A semi-structured interview guide was used to explore reasons for discordance between current preferences and LST orders. RESULTS: Reasons for discordance included: (1) inadequate information about the range of available LST options, what each involves, and how to formally communicate preferences; (2) no previous discussion with facility staff; (3) no documentation of previously expressed preferences; and (4) family involvement. CONCLUSION: Reasons for discordance between expressed preferences and LST orders suggest that in facilities without a uniform and systematic LST order documentation strategy like POLST, these conversations may not occur and/or be documented. Staff should be aware that residents and surrogates may have preferences about LSTs that require strategic solicitation and documentation.

Reasons for discordance and concordance between POLST orders and current treatment preferences.

BACKGROUND: The reasons for discordance between advance care planning (ACP) documentation and current preferences are not well understood. The POLST form offers a unique opportunity to learn about the reasons for discordance and concordance that has relevance for POLST as well as ACP generally. DESIGN: Qualitative descriptive including constant comparative analysis within and across cases. SETTING: Twenty-six nursing facilities in Indiana. PARTICIPANTS: Residents (n = 36) and surrogate decision-makers of residents without decisional capacity (n = 37). MEASUREMENTS: A semi-structured interview guide was used to explore the reasons for discordance or concordance between current preferences and existing POLST forms. FINDINGS: Reasons for discordance include: (1) problematic nursing facility practices related to POLST completion; (2) missing key information about POLST treatment decisions; (3) deferring to others; and (4) changes over time. Some participants were unable to explain the discordance due to a lack of insight or inability to remember details of the original POLST conversation. Explanations for concordance include: (1) no change in the resident's medical condition and/or the resident is unlikely to improve; (2) use of the substituted judgment standard for surrogate decision-making; and (3) fixed opinion about what is "right" with little to no insight. CONCLUSION: Participant explanations for discordance between existing POLST orders and current preferences highlight the importance of adequate structures and processes to support high quality ACP in nursing facilities. Residents with stable or poor health may be more appropriate candidates for POLST than residents with a less clear prognosis, though preferences should be revisited periodically as well as when there is a change in condition to help ensure existing documentation is concordant with current treatment preferences.

Factors associated with concordance between POLST orders and current treatment preferences.

BACKGROUND: POLST is widely used to document the treatment preferences of nursing facility residents as orders, but it is unknown how well previously completed POLST orders reflect current preferences (concordance) and what factors are associated with concordance. OBJECTIVES: To describe POLST preference concordance and identify factors associated with concordance. DESIGN: Chart reviews to document existing POLST orders and interviews to elicit current treatment preferences. SETTING: POLST-using nursing facilities (n = 29) in Indiana. PARTICIPANTS: Nursing facility residents (n = 123) and surrogates of residents without decisional capacity (n = 152). MEASUREMENTS: Concordance was determined by comparing existing POLST orders for resuscitation, medical interventions, and artificial nutrition with current treatment preferences. Comfort-focused POLSTs contained orders for do not resuscitate, comfort measures, and no artificial nutrition. RESULTS: Overall, 55.7% (123/221) of residents and 44.7% (152/340) of surrogates participated (total n = 275). POLST concordance was 44%, but concordance was higher for comfort-focused POLSTs (68%) than for non-comfort-focused POLSTs (27%) (p < 0.001). In the unadjusted analysis, increasing resident age (OR 1.04, 95% CI 1.01-1.07, p < 0.01), better cognitive functioning (OR 1.07, 95% CI 1.02-1.13, p < 0.01), surrogate as the decision-maker (OR 2.87, OR 1.73-4.75, p < 0.001), and comfort-focused POLSTs (OR 6.01, 95% CI 3.29-11.00, p < 0.01) were associated with concordance. In the adjusted multivariable model, only having an existing comfort-focused POLST was associated with higher odds of POLST concordance (OR 5.28, 95% CI 2.59-10.73, p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Less than half of all POLST forms were concordant with current preferences, but POLST was over five times as likely to be concordant when orders reflected preferences for comfort-focused care. Findings suggest a clear need to improve the quality of POLST use in nursing facilities and focus its use among residents with stable, comfort-focused preferences.

Do Life-sustaining Treatment Orders Match Patient and Surrogate Preferences? The Role of POLST.

BACKGROUND: It is essential to high-quality medical care that life-sustaining treatment orders match the current, values-based preferences of patients or their surrogate decision-makers. It is unknown whether concordance between orders and current preferences is higher when a POLST form is used compared to standard documentation practices. OBJECTIVE: To assess concordance between existing orders and current preferences for nursing facility residents with and without POLST forms. DESIGN: Chart review and interviews. SETTING: Forty Indiana nursing facilities (29 where POLST is used and 11 where POLST is not in use). PARTICIPANTS: One hundred sixty-one residents able to provide consent and 197 surrogate decision-makers of incapacitated residents with and without POLST forms. MAIN MEASUREMENTS: Concordance was measured by comparing life-sustaining treatment orders in the medical record (e.g., orders about resuscitation, intubation, and hospitalization) with current preferences. Concordance was analyzed using population-averaged binary logistic regression. Inverse probability weighting techniques were used to account for non-response. We hypothesized that concordance would be higher in residents with POLST (n = 275) in comparison to residents without POLST (n = 83). KEY RESULTS: Concordance was higher for residents with POLST than without POLST (59.3% versus 34.9%). In a model adjusted for resident, surrogate, and facility characteristics, the odds were 3.05 times higher that residents with POLST had orders for life-sustaining treatment match current preferences in comparison to residents without POLST (OR 3.05 95% CI 1.67-5.58, p < 0.001). No other variables were significantly associated with concordance. CONCLUSIONS: Nursing facility residents with POLST are significantly more likely than residents without POLST to have concordance between orders in their medical records and current preferences for life-sustaining treatments, increasing the likelihood that their treatment preferences will be known and honored. However, findings indicate further systems change and clinical training are needed to improve POLST concordance.

Patient-centered and efficacious advance care planning in cancer: Protocol and key design considerations for the PEACe-compare trial.

BACKGROUND: Failure to deliver care near the end of life that reflects the needs, values and preferences of patients with advanced cancer remains a major shortcoming of our cancer care delivery system. METHODS: A mixed-methods comparative effectiveness trial of in-person advance care planning (ACP) discussions versus web-based ACP is currently underway at oncology practices in Western Pennsylvania. Patients with advanced cancer and their caregivers are invited to enroll. Participants are randomized to either (1) in-person ACP discussions via face-to-face visits with a nurse facilitator following the Respecting Choices® Conversation Guide or (2) web-based ACP using the PREPARE for your care™ web-based ACP tool. The trial compares the effect of these two interventions on patient and family caregiver outcomes (engagement in ACP, primary outcome; ACP discussions; advance directive (AD) completion; quality of end-of-life (EOL) care; EOL goal attainment; caregiver psychological symptoms; healthcare utilization at EOL) and assesses implementation costs. Factors influencing ACP effectiveness are assessed via in-depth interviews with patients, caregivers and clinicians. DISCUSSION: This trial will provide new and much-needed empirical evidence about two patient-facing ACP approaches that successfully overcome limitations of traditional written advance directives but entail very different investments of time and resources. It is innovative in using mixed methods to evaluate not only the comparative effectiveness of these approaches, but also the contexts and mechanisms influencing effectiveness. Data from this study will inform clinicians, payers and health systems seeking to adopt and scale the most effective and efficient ACP strategy in real-world oncology settings.

A Tool to Assess Patient and Surrogate Knowledge About the POLST (Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment) Program.

CONTEXT: It is especially important that patients are well informed when making high-stakes, preference-sensitive decisions like those on the Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) form. However, there is currently no way to easily evaluate whether patients understand key concepts when making these important decisions. OBJECTIVES: To develop a POLST knowledge survey. METHODS: Expert (n = 62) ratings of key POLST facts were used to select items for a POLST knowledge survey. The survey was administered to nursing facility residents (n = 97) and surrogate decision-makers (n = 112). A subset (n = 135) were re-administered the survey after a standardized advance care planning discussion to assess the scale's responsiveness to change. RESULTS: The 19-item survey demonstrated adequate reliability (α = 0.72.). Residents' scores (x = 11.4, standard deviation 3.3) were significantly lower than surrogate scores (x = 14.7, standard deviation 2.5) (P < 0.001). Scores for both groups increased significantly after administration of a standardized advance care planning discussion (P < 0.001). Although being a surrogate, age, race, education, cognitive functioning, and health literacy were significantly associated with higher POLST Knowledge Survey scores in univariate analyses, only being a surrogate (P < 0.001) and being white (P = 0.028) remained significantly associated with higher scores in multivariate analyses. CONCLUSION: The 19-item POLST Knowledge Survey demonstrated adequate reliability and responsiveness to change. Findings suggest the survey could be used to identify knowledge deficits and provide targeted education to ensure adequate understanding of key clinical decisions when completing POLST.

Experiences with and outcomes of Advance Care Planning in bereaved relatives of frail older patients: a mixed methods study.

BACKGROUND: Advance Care Planning (ACP) may prepare relatives of frail older patients for future decision-making. OBJECTIVE: to investigate (1) how bereaved relatives of frail older patients experience ACP conversations and (2) whether ACP has an effect on relatives' preparation for decision-making and on their levels of anxiety and depression. DESIGN: cluster randomised controlled trial. SETTING: residential care homes in the Netherlands and community setting. SUBJECTS: bereaved relatives of care home residents and community-dwelling frail older patients. METHODS: we randomised 16 residential care homes to either the intervention group, where patient-participants were offered facilitated ACP, or the control group (n = 201), where they received 'care as usual'. If patient-participants died, we approached relatives for an interview. We asked relatives who had attended ACP conversations for their experience with ACP (open-ended questions). Furthermore, we compared relatives' preparation levels for decision-making and levels of anxiety and depression (HADS) between groups. This trial was registered (NTR4454). RESULTS: we conducted interviews with 39/51 (76%) bereaved relatives (intervention group: n = 20, control group: n = 19). Relatives appreciated the ACP conversations. A few considered ACP redundant since they were already aware of the patients' preferences. Nine of 10 relatives in the intervention group felt adequately prepared for decision-making as compared to 5 of 11 relatives in the control group (P = 0.03). Relatives' levels of anxiety and depression did not differ significantly between groups. CONCLUSIONS: in our study, bereaved relatives of frail older patients appreciated ACP. ACP positively affected preparedness for decision-making. It did not significantly affect levels of anxiety or depression.

Advance Care Planning in Frail Older Adults: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the effectiveness of advance care planning (ACP) in frail older adults. DESIGN: Cluster randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Residential care homes in the Netherlands (N=16). PARTICIPANTS: Care home residents and community-dwelling adults receiving home care (N=201; n=101 intervention; n=100 control). Participants were 75 years and older, frail, and capable of consenting to participation. INTERVENTION: Adjusted Respecting Choices ACP program. MEASUREMENTS: The primary outcome was change in patient activation (Patient Activation Measure, PAM-13) between baseline and 12-month follow-up. Secondary outcomes included change in quality of life (SF-12), advance directive (AD) completion, and surrogate decision-maker appointment. Use of medical care in the 12 months after inclusion was also assessed. Multilevel analyses were performed, controlling for clustering effects and differences in demographics. RESULTS: Seventy-seven intervention participants and 83 controls completed the follow-up assessment. There were no statistically significant differences between the intervention (-0.26±11.2) and control group (-1.43±10.6) in change scores of the PAM (p=.43) or the SF-12. Of intervention group participants, 93% completed an AD, and 94% appointed a decision-maker. Of control participants, 34% completed an AD, and 67% appointed a decision-maker (p<.001). No differences in the use of medical care were found. CONCLUSIONS: ACP did not increase levels of patient activation or quality of life but did increase completion of ADs and appointment of surrogate decision-makers. It did not affect use of medical care.

Use of the Physician Orders for Scope of Treatment Program in Indiana Nursing Homes.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the use of the Indiana Physician Orders for Scope of Treatment (POST) form to record nursing home (NH) resident treatment preferences and associated practices. DESIGN: Survey. SETTING: Indiana NHs. PARTICIPANTS: Staff responsible for advance care planning in 535 NHs. MEASUREMENTS: Survey about use of the Indiana POST, related policies, and educational activities. METHODS: NHs were contacted by telephone or email. Nonresponders were sent a brief postcard survey. RESULTS: Ninety-one percent (n=486) of Indiana NHs participated, and 79% had experience with POST. Of the 65% of NHs that complete POST with residents, 46% reported that half or more residents had a POST form. POST was most often completed at the time of admission (68%). Only 52% of participants were aware of an existing facility policy regarding use of POST; 80% reported general staff education on POST. In the 172 NHs not using POST, reasons for not using it included unfamiliarity with the tool (23%) and lack of facility policies (21%). CONCLUSION: Almost 3 years after a grassroots campaign to introduce the voluntary Indiana POST program, a majority of NHs were using POST to support resident care. Areas for improvement include creating policies on POST for all NHs, training staff on POST conversations, and considering processes that may enhance the POST conversation, such as finding an optimal time to engage in conversations about treatment preferences other than a potentially rushed admission process.

The Quality of Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment Decisions: A Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND: Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) forms are used to document patient treatment preferences as medical orders. Prior research demonstrates that use of POLST alters medical treatments in a way that is consistent with the POLST orders. However, there are minimal data about the quality of POLST decisions, including whether they reflect the current preferences of well-informed patients. OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the quality of POLST decisions. DESIGN: Chart abstraction; interviews. SUBJECTS: Nursing home residents and healthcare agents of incapacitated nursing home residents (n = 28). MEASUREMENTS: Characteristics of the POLST conversation were assessed. Brief vignettes were used to assess knowledge about how POLST orders guide medical treatment. Current treatment preferences were elicited and compared with the patient's POLST orders to assess discordance. RESULTS: A majority (59%) of participants recognized the POLST form. Participants were generally accurate in their knowledge of how POLST orders guide treatment concerning cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) (68%), antibiotics (74%), and artificial nutrition (79%), but less so for medical interventions (50%). Current treatment preferences were initially discordant with one or more POLST orders for 64% (18/28) of participants, but half of these discordances were resolved with further discussion (e.g., participant agreed with the existing order). Discordance by treatment decision was as follows: CPR (7%), level of medical intervention (18%), antibiotics (21%), and artificial nutrition (11%). CONCLUSIONS: Discordance between current preferences and POLST orders is complex. Interventions are needed to support high-quality POLST decisions that are informed and concordant with current preferences.

A cluster randomized controlled trial on the effects and costs of advance care planning in elderly care: study protocol.

BACKGROUND: Currently, health care and medical decision-making at the end of life for older people are often insufficiently patient-centred. In this trial we study the effects of Advance Care Planning (ACP), a formalised process of timely communication about care preferences at the end of life, for frail older people. METHODS/DESIGN: We will conduct a cluster randomised controlled trial among older people residing in care homes or receiving home care in the Netherlands. The intervention group will receive the ACP program Respecting Choices® in addition to usual care. The control group will receive usual care only. Participants in both groups will fill out questionnaires at baseline and after 12 months. We hypothesize that ACP will lead to better patient activation in medical decision making and quality of life, while reducing the number of medical interventions and thus health care costs. Multivariate analysis will be used to compare differences between the intervention group and the control group at baseline and to compare differences in changes after 12 months following the inclusion. DISCUSSION: Our study can contribute to more understanding of the effects of ACP on patient activation and quality of life in frail older people. Further, we will gain insight in the costs and cost-effectiveness of ACP. This study will facilitate ACP policy for older people in the Netherlands. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Nederlands Trial Register: NTR4454.

Use of the physician orders for life-sustaining treatment program in the clinical setting: a systematic review of the literature.

The Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) form is a palliative care tool that contains standardized, actionable medical orders. It is designed to ensure that patient treatment preferences are elicited, communicated, and honored throughout the healthcare system. A systematic review of the literature was conducted to evaluate what is currently known about the POLST program and identify directions for future research. Twenty-three research studies focused on POLST use in the clinical setting were identified. A majority of studies have been conducted all or in part in Oregon, with chart review the most frequently used methodology. Research suggests that POLST is most commonly used in older, white patients who are near the end of life. A nonphysician facilitator usually prepares the POLST form for the physician to review and sign. The orders documented on POLST reflect a wide degree of individualization, with only approximately one-third of patients having orders reflecting the lowest level of treatment in all POLST form sections. Clinicians have generally positive attitudes regarding use of POLST yet report a wide range of challenges. POLST alters treatment in a way that is consistent with orders. However, evidence that POLST reflects patient or surrogate treatment preferences is lacking. Research is needed to evaluate the quality of POLST decisions, explore the experiences of patients and their surrogates, develop decision-support tools, improve clinician education, and assess the effect of POLST on care outcomes through intervention and population-based studies.

Respecting Choices® and advance directives in a diverse community.

BACKGROUND: Respecting Choices® is a program designed and verified to improve advance care planning, yet it has not been tested in racially/ethnically diverse communities. Research has shown racial/ethnic minorities are less likely to have advance directives (ADs). OBJECTIVE: To determine whether Respecting Choices® would improve AD prevalence and utilization in a racially and ethnically diverse community. METHODS: The study design was that of a retrospective chart review. Subjects were all decedents from 2005 to 2010 (n=732) in a 300-bed Midwestern metropolitan hospital. Prevalence was assessed by the presence of an AD in the chart. Utilization was measured by the consistency of wishes expressed in an AD and treatment received ("No CPR," "No Feeding Tube," "No Antibiotics," "No Ventilator," "Comfort Care," and "Terminal Extubation"). Average treatment effect using regression analysis and matching on covariates was used for analysis of Respecting Choices® on AD prevalence. Proportional difference tests were used to compare consistency of wishes by race/ethnicity before and after Respecting Choices®. RESULTS: The prevalence of ADs increased significantly for racial and ethnic minorities after the implementation of Respecting Choices®: from 25.8% to 38.4% (p=0.011). The increase in AD prevalence for whites following Respecting Choices® was only marginal (46.7% to 47.3%; p=0.648), and the overall prevalence of ADs did not significantly change (35.9% to 42.9%; p=0.069). Consistency was high (74% to 96%) for all orders, and there were no significant differences following implementation of Respecting Choices® or between whites and racial and ethnic minorities. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of ADs increased after Respecting Choices® was initiated in a racially and ethnically diverse community.

Use of the Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment program for patients being discharged from the hospital to the nursing facility.

BACKGROUND: The Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) documents patient preferences as medical orders that transfer across settings with patients. OBJECTIVES: The objectives were to pilot test methods and gather preliminary data about POLST including (1) use at time of hospital discharge, (2) transfers across settings, and (3) consistency with prior decisions. STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive with chart abstraction and interviews. PARTICIPANTS: Participants were hospitalized patients discharged to a nursing facility and/or their surrogates in La Crosse County, Wisconsin. MEASUREMENTS: POLST forms were abstracted from hospital records for 151 patients. Hospital and nursing facility chart data were abstracted and interviews were conducted with an additional 39 patients/surrogates. RESULTS: Overall, 176 patients had valid POLST forms at the time of discharge from the hospital, and many (38.6%; 68/176) only documented code status. When the whole POLST was completed, orders were more often marked as based on a discussion with the patient and/or surrogate than when the form was used just for code status (95.1% versus 13.8%, p<.001). In the follow-up and interview sample, a majority (90.6%; 29/32) of POLST forms written in the hospital were unchanged up to three weeks after nursing facility admission. Most (71.9%; 23/32) appeared consistent with patient or surrogate recall of prior treatment decisions. CONCLUSION: POLST forms generated in the hospital do transfer with patients across settings, but are often used only to document code status. POLST orders appeared largely consistent with prior treatment decisions. Further research is needed to assess the quality of POLST decisions.