Understanding Families’ Expectations of Prognosis in Prolonged Mechanical Ventilation

For patients who require prolonged mechanical ventilation, aligning care with the goals of both the patient and the family depends on clear communication and an accurate mutual understanding of prognosis. Families bring hope and lived experience to their expectations, whereas clinicians rely on medical data. Misjudging families’ expectations can lead to breakdowns in communication, delayed decisions, and discordant care.

To determine how accurately clinicians understand families’ expectations of prognosis, researchers surveyed the families, physicians, and nurses of 240 patients on prolonged mechanical ventilation in 1 of 13 intensive care units (ICUs) in the United States. Families were asked how likely their loved one was to survive…