Supporting Surrogate Decision Makers in the Intensive Care Unit

Serving as a surrogate decision maker for a critically ill patient can be highly stressful — but clinicians don't consistently provide effective support for such surrogates. Investigators sought to determine if a program including emotional support and frequent clinician–family communication would alleviate some stress associated with being a decision maker, particularly at the end of a patient's life. Some 800 surrogates were studied before and after implementation of a support program in five intensive care units (ICUs) within one U.S. healthcare system. All patients had risk for death or long-term disability of ≥40%. The intervention was led by unit-based nurses who had received 12 hours of advanced communication training and who were se…