title: Quality of communication in the ICU and surrogate's understanding of prognosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although misperceptions about prognosis by surrogates in ICUs are common and influence treatment decisions, there is no validated, practical way to measure the effectiveness of prognostic communication. Surrogates' subjective ratings of quality of communication have been used in other domains as markers of effectiveness of communication. We sought to determine whether surrogates' subjective ratings of the quality of prognostic communication predict accurate expectation about prognosis by surrogates.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a cross-sectional cohort study. Surrogates rated the quality of prognostic communication by survey. Physicians and surrogates gave their percentage estimate of patient survival on ICU day 3 on a 0-100 probability scale. We defined discordance about prognosis as a difference in the physician's and surrogate's estimates of greater than or equal to ±20%. We used multilevel logistic regression modeling to account for clustering under physicians and patients and adjust for confounders.
  
  
  METHODS
  Medical-surgical, trauma, cardiac, and neurologic ICUs of five U.S. academic medical centers located in California, Pennsylvania, Washington, North Carolina, and Massachusetts.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred seventy-five patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome at high risk of death or severe functional impairment, their 546 surrogate decision makers, and their 150 physicians.
  
  
  METHODS
  None.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no predictive utility of surrogates' ratings of the quality of communication about prognosis to identify inaccurate expectations about prognosis (odds ratio, 1.04 ± 0.07; p = 0.54). Surrogates' subjective ratings of the quality of communication about prognosis were high, as assessed with a variety of questions. Discordant prognostic estimates were present in 63.5% (95% CI, 59.0-67.9) of physician-surrogate pairs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although most surrogates rate the quality of prognostic communication high, inaccurate expectations about prognosis are common among surrogates. Surrogates' ratings of the quality of prognostic communication do not reliably predict an accurate expectation about prognosis.
authors: 1Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA. 2Clinical Research, Investigation, and Systems Modeling of Acute Illness (CRISMA) Center, Department of Critical Care Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA. 3Section of Palliative Care and Medical Ethics, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA. 4Palliative and Supportive Institute, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA. 5Program on Ethics and Decision Making in Critical Illness, Department of Critical Care Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA. 6Center for Bioethics and Health Law, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA.
authors: Jared
authors: J
authors: Chiarchiaro
authors: Praewpannarai
authors: P
authors: Buddadhumaruk
authors: Robert M
authors: RM
authors: Arnold
authors: Douglas B
authors: DB
authors: White
mesh_terms: D018806:APACHE; D000046:Academic Medical Centers; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003142:Communication; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D058980:Information Literacy; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010819:Physician's Role; D010820:Physicians; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D011379:Prognosis; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D012128:Respiratory Distress Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors