Examining the root cause of surrogate conflicts in the intensive care unit and general wards.
This study is an analysis of surrogate-focused ethics consultations in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and the general wards (Ward) of a large community hospital in Northern California. We identified the major themes of surrogate-focused ethics consultations to better understand the root cause of surrogate conflicts, and identified the similarities and differences between surrogate-based conflicts in the two settings. Consults requested because the surrogate had desires that conflicted with the physician's medical opinion of 'best interest', or cases involving surrogates not upholding a patient's known values reflected the root cause of the majority of surrogate conflicts (72.7% ICU, 83.3% Ward).
California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC), USA. allie.rubin@gmail.com
Allison Neyhart
AN
Rubin
Katrina A
KA
Bramstedt
D000328:Adult; D024362:Advance Directive Adherence / Q000941:ethics; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002140:California; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D003657:Decision Making / Q000941:ethics*; D033061:Ethics Consultation; D005260:Female; D006764:Hospitals, Community; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019727:Proxy