title: Palliative Care in the Intensive Care Unit: Are Residents Well Trained to Provide Optimal Care to Critically ill Patients?
abstract: Palliative care (PC) and end-of-life (EOL) care are gaining importance in the management of critically ill patients in the ICU. Residents form a significant work force in the ICU and most often are the only group that provides round the clock coverage.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a cross sectional study where residents were surveyed to assess their knowledge, skills and perceived barriers towards palliative care in the ICU.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The most common barrier identified by our residents was discrepancies in goals of care between the medical team and patients/families (18.7%). A palliative care consult was most commonly obtained when the patient was terminally ill (22.9%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Teaching should focus on overcoming the identified barriers especially communication with patients and their families. More studies are needed to identify the best method to teach Palliative care in the ICU.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, St Louis University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA.
authors.forename: Ghassan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kamel
authors.affiliation: Division of General Internal Medicine, Section of Hospital Medicine, St Louis University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA.
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Paniagua
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, St Louis University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA auppalap@slu.edu.
authors.forename: Aditya
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Uppalapati
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards*; D016638:Critical Illness / Q000628:therapy*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000458:organization & administration*; D007396:Internship and Residency; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000592:standards*; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology*; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000379:methods*
keywords: ICU; critical care; death; education; end of life; palliative care