Intensive Communication for Chronically Critically Ill

描述（由申请人提供）：在治疗危及生命的疾病患者方面的进展导致越来越多的“慢性危重病”（CCI）患者从最初的危重病中恢复，但继续需要在医院的机械呼吸机上长时间使用。CCI是死亡率、发病率和再入院的高危人群。CCI的家庭面临着巨大的挑战，因为他们面临着关于护理目标的决定，以及福利和负担。确定和经常重新评估护理目标已被公认为至关重要的，但往往被忽视的支持性沟通和决策与危重病人的家庭组成部分。然而，我们对在这个过程中帮助家庭的具体方法以及沟通如何影响患者结果知之甚少。就CCI的护理目标达成共识可能会带来特殊的挑战，因为CCI通常不被识别，CCI的预后不被很好地接受，ICU对生存以外的目标考虑不足。对这些患者的重症监护的一个关键组成部分是密集的沟通。缺乏为临床医生提供具体指导所需的理解和证据是改善临终关怀的一个重大障碍。因此，有必要开发和测试干预措施，可以更有效地和一致地促进与CCI患者家属的交流和决策。本提案的具体目的是研究实施强化沟通系统（ICS）对CCI患者和家庭结局以及不同专业ICU资源使用的影响。研究问题是：（a）CCI患者家属实施ICS对ICU资源使用的影响是什么？(b)对CCI患者家庭实施ICS对家庭抑郁、沟通满意度和护理满意度有何影响？(c)实施ICS对患者结局（死亡率、再入院）有何影响？(d)干预措施的有效性与家庭人口统计学（年龄、与患者的关系）之间的关联是什么？（e）综合科技中心的传播过程有哪些主要特点？

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Advances in the treatment of patients with life-threatening illnesses have resulted in a growing population of "chronically critically ill" (CCI) patients who have recovered from an initial critical illness, but go on to require prolonged periods of time on mechanical ventilators in the hospital. The CCI are at high risk for mortality, morbidity, and readmission. Families of the CCI confront enormous challenges as they face decisions about goals of care, as well as benefits and burdens. Identification and frequent re-evaluation of goals of care have been recognized as essential yet often neglected components of supportive communication and decision making with families of the critically ill. We know very little, however, about specific ways to assist families in this process and how communication affects patient outcomes. Reaching consensus about goals of care in CCI may present particular challenges because CCI is often not recognized, prognosis of CCI is not well accepted, and ICUs are poorly equipped for consideration of goals other than survival. A key component of intensive care for these patients is intensive communication. Lack of understanding and evidence needed to provide specific directions to clinicians is a significant barrier to improving end of life care. Thus, there is a need to develop and test interventions that can more effectively and consistently promote shared communication and decision making with families of CCI patients. The specific aims of this proposal are to examine the effect of implementing an intensive communication system (ICS) on CCI patient and family outcomes and resource use in ICUs of varying specialties. The research questions are: (a) what is the effect of implementation of an ICS for families of CCI patients on ICU resource use? (b) What is the effect of implementation of an ICS for families of CCI patients on family depression, satisfaction with communication, and satisfaction with care? (c) What is the effect of implementation of an ICS on patient outcomes (mortality, readmission)? (d) What is the association between effectiveness of the intervention and family demographics (age, relationship to patient. ethnicity); (e) What are the key process characteristics of communication in ICS?