Improving serious illness communication: a qualitative study of clinical culture

Autor: Joanna Paladino, Justin J. Sanders, Erik K. Fromme, Susan Block, Juliet C. Jacobsen, Vicki A. Jackson, Christine S. Ritchie, Suzanne Mitchell
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2023
Předmět:
Zdroj: BMC Palliative Care, Vol 22, Iss 1, Pp 1-11 (2023)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 1472-684X
DOI: 10.1186/s12904-023-01229-x
Popis: Abstract Objective Communication about patients’ values, goals, and prognosis in serious illness (serious illness communication) is a cornerstone of person-centered care yet difficult to implement in practice. As part of Serious Illness Care Program implementation in five health systems, we studied the clinical culture-related factors that supported or impeded improvement in serious illness conversations. Methods Qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews of clinical leaders, implementation teams, and frontline champions. Results We completed 30 interviews across palliative care, oncology, primary care, and hospital medicine. Participants identified four culture-related domains that influenced serious illness communication improvement: (1) clinical paradigms; (2) interprofessional empowerment; (3) perceived conversation impact; (4) practice norms. Changes in clinicians’ beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors in these domains supported values and goals conversations, including: shifting paradigms about serious illness communication from ‘end-of-life planning’ to ‘knowing and honoring what matters most to patients;’ improvements in psychological safety that empowered advanced practice clinicians, nurses and social workers to take expanded roles; experiencing benefits of earlier values and goals conversations; shifting from avoidant norms to integration norms in which earlier serious illness discussions became part of routine processes. Culture-related inhibitors included: beliefs that conversations are about dying or withdrawing care; attitudes that serious illness communication is the physician’s job; discomfort managing emotions; lack of reliable processes. Conclusions Aspects of clinical culture, such as paradigms about serious illness communication and inter-professional empowerment, are linked to successful adoption of serious illness communication. Further research is warranted to identify effective strategies to enhance clinical culture and drive clinician practice change.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals
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