Many patients with critical illnesses can spend extended periods of time in the hospital, including intensive care units. This is a difficult time for families of the patients, especially since many end up making care and treatment decisions for incapacitated patients. Hospitals have attempted to find methods to help these families cope with the emotional burden they endure in these situations. Research in the Journal of the American Medical Association reports on one such effort to help families of these critically ill patients. (JAMA Article) These family members often suffer from anxiety and depression and other health issues. The researchers designed a program of informational and emotional support for the families, to be delivered by palliative care specialists, and looked at whether the program would reduce anxiety and depression among the family members. The intervention was compared to usual care, which was not guided by palliative care specialists. About 250 patients at 3 hospitals were involved in the study. Anxiety and depression were measured by a commonly used interview scoring method. The intervention meetings included discussions about the patient’s prognosis and about his or her goals and values related to health care, particularly when critically ill. The intervention showed no improvement in the rate or extent of anxiety and depression among family members and those in the intervention group actually showed greater signs of post-traumatic stress syndrome. There also was no difference in reporting on the adequacy of physician communication or in the perception that the patient’s preferences were understood and followed. There also was no effect on length of stay, or use of other health care resources. It may be that the usual care was actually pretty good in family communication, so differences would be hard to detect. It also may be that there is little a hospital can do to lessen the stress families will feel in these circumstances.
✅ Subscribe via Email
About this Blog
The Healthy Skeptic is a website about the health care system, and is written by Kevin Roche, who has many years of experience working in the health industry. Mr. Roche is available to assist health care companies through consulting arrangements through Roche Consulting, LLC and may be reached at khroche@healthy-skeptic.com.
Healthy Skeptic Podcast
Research
MedPAC 2019 Report to Congress
June 18, 2019
Headlines
Tags
Access
ACO
Care Management
Chronic Disease
Comparative Effectiveness
Consumer Directed Health
Consumers
Devices
Disease Management
Drugs
EHRs
Elder Care
End-of-Life Care
FDA
Financings
Genomics
Government
Health Care Costs
Health Care Quality
Health Care Reform
Health Insurance
Health Insurance Exchange
HIT
HomeCare
Hospital
Hospital Readmissions
Legislation
M&A
Malpractice
Meaningful Use
Medicaid
Medical Care
Medicare
Medicare Advantage
Mobile
Pay For Performance
Pharmaceutical
Physicians
Providers
Regulation
Repealing Reform
Telehealth
Telemedicine
Wellness and Prevention
Workplace
Related Posts
Commentary
Credit Where Credit Is Due
November 6, 2024
Credit Where Credit Is Due
It has been an amazing campaign and Trump deserves all the credit for his perseverance.
Commentary
No Time for Gloating, Well, Maybe in One Respect its Okay
November 6, 2024
No Time for Gloating, Well, Maybe in One Respect its Okay
If you have come to despise Little Timmy, as I have, revel in his humiliation…
Commentary
November 4 Debt Auction
November 4, 2024
November 4 Debt Auction
Another disappointing US debt auction.