Preparedness planning before mechanical circulatory support: a "how-to" guide for palliative medicine clinicians

Integration of palliative care across the spectrum of heart failure care and therapies: considerations, contemporary data, and challenges

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Heart failure (HF) is characterized by significant symptoms, compromised quality of life, frequent hospital admissions, and high mortality, and is therefore well suited to palliative care (PC) intervention. This review elaborates the current PC needs of patients with HF across the spectrum of disease, including patients who undergo advanced HF surgical therapies, and reviews the current data and future directions for PC integration in HF care.

RECENT FINDINGS

Patients with chronic HF, as well as those who are being evaluated for or who have undergone advanced HF surgical therapies such as left ventricular assist device or heart transplantation, have a number of PC needs, including decision-making, symptoms and quality of life, caregiver support, and end-of-life care. Available data primarily supports the use of PC interventions in chronic HF to improve quality of life and symptoms. PC skills and teams may also help address preparedness planning, adverse events, and psychosocial barriers in patients who have had HF surgeries, but more data are needed to determine association with outcomes.

SUMMARY

Patients with HF have tremendous PC needs across the spectrum of disease. Despite this, more data are needed to determine the optimal timing and structure of PC interventions in patients with chronic HF, left ventricular assist device, and heart transplantation. Future steps must be taken in clinical, research, and policy domains in order to optimize care.

End-of-Life Planning in Patients with Mechanical Circulatory Support

There are a growing number of patients with mechanical circulatory support (MCS) in the setting of bridge to transplant and destination therapy and temporary support. Preparedness planning is an important aspect of care that involves device-specific Goals of Care and Advance Care Planning and should ideally be used in MCS candidates before initiation of therapy and revisited periodically. The withdrawal of both temporary and durable MCS can be complex and controversial.

The Role of Palliative Care in Heart Failure, Part 4: A Framework for Collaboration in Advance Care Planning

Background: Palliative care integration into cardiology is growing, allowing primary cardiology care teams increasing opportunities to utilize palliative care to support processes such as advance care planning (ACP). Objective: The aim of the study is to understand perspectives of cardiac care team members about the involvement and impact of palliative care on ACP in heart failure. Design: A qualitative study using a semistructured interview guide was performed. Settings/Subjects: Interviews were conducted with cardiac care team members, including cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, and nurse practitioners, at a large academic medical center in the United States with an integrated cardiac palliative care team. Measurements: Deductive and inductive thematic analysis of interview transcripts enabled characterization of themes around the role of palliative care in ACP. Results: Two themes were identified with regard to providers' perspectives about ACP: (1) different levels of comfort with initiating and conducting ACP conversations and (2) different opinions about the desired role of palliative care in the ACP process. In exploring these themes, we characterized four distinct approaches to ACP with palliative care as a novel framework for planning consultation. Conclusions: The different approaches to ACP and the implications for how cardiac providers interact with the palliative care team present an important opportunity to guide ACP consultation in practice. Adoption of this framework may help cardiac providers enhance the process of care delivery and ACP in important ways that improve care for their patients.

The Role of Palliative Care in Heart Failure, Part 1: Referring Provider Perspectives About Opportunities in Advanced Cardiac Therapies

Background: There are many ways that palliative care can support patients with heart failure, but the role of palliative care in supporting patients who are considering or are already using advanced cardiac therapies is less clear. Objective: To understand referring providers' perspectives about the role of palliative care in the treatment of patients with heart failure considering or using advanced cardiac therapies. Design: Qualitative study using a semistructured interview guide. Setting/Subjects: This study was conducted at an academic medical center in the United States with an integrated cardiac palliative care program. Interviews were conducted with cardiology providers, including cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, and nurse practitioners who care for patients with heart failure and who are considering or receiving advanced cardiac therapies. Measurements: Interview transcripts were analyzed deductively and inductively to reveal themes in providers' perspectives. Results: Five themes were identified about the role of palliative care when advanced therapies were considered or being used: (1) educating patients; (2) supporting goal-concordant care; (3) managing symptoms; (4) addressing psychosocial needs; and (5) managing end-of-life care. Providers suggested palliative care could be a facilitator of advanced therapies, rather than merely something to add to end-of-life care. Conclusions: Cardiology providers recognize the value of integrating palliative care across the heart failure disease trajectory to provide therapy options, support decision-making processes, and provide goal-concordant care for patients considering or receiving advanced therapies. Increasing awareness of opportunities to integrate palliative care throughout the treatment of these patients may help cardiology providers better coordinate with palliative care specialists to improve patient care.

The role of critical care nurses in shared decision-making for patients with severe heart failure: A qualitative study

AIM

Patients with severe heart failure undergo highly invasive and advanced therapies with uncertain treatment outcomes. For these patients, shared decision-making is necessary. To date, the nursing perspective of the decision-making process for patients facing difficulties and how nurses can support patients in this process have not been fully elucidated. This study aimed to clarify the perceptions of critical care nurses regarding situations with patients with severe heart failure that require difficult decision-making, and their role in supporting these patients.

METHODS

Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 certified nurse specialists in critical care nursing at nine hospitals in Japan. A qualitative inductive method was used and the derived relationships among the themes were visually structured and represented.

RESULTS

The nurses' perceptions on patients' difficult situations in decision-making were identified as follows: painful decisions under uncertainties; tense relationships; wavering emotions during decision-making; difficulties in coping with worsening medical conditions; patients' wishes that are difficult to realize or estimate; and difficulties in transitioning from advanced medical care. Critical care nurses' roles were summarized into six themes and performed collaboratively within the nursing team. Of these, the search for meaning and value was fundamental. Two positions underpin the role of critical care nurses. The first aims to provide direct support and includes partnerships and rights advocacy. The second aims to provide a holistic perspective to enable necessary adjustments, as indicated by situation assessments and mediation. By crossing various boundaries, co-creating, and forming a good circular relationship in the search for meaning and values, the possibility of expanding treatment and recuperation options may be considered.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with severe heart failure have difficulty participating in shared decision-making. Critical care nurses should collaborate within the nursing team to improve interprofessional shared decision-making by providing decisional support to patients that focuses on values and meaning.

Escalating and De-escalating Temporary Mechanical Circulatory Support in Cardiogenic Shock: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association

The use of temporary mechanical circulatory support in cardiogenic shock has increased dramatically despite a lack of randomized controlled trials or evidence guiding clinical decision-making. Recommendations from professional societies on temporary mechanical circulatory support escalation and de-escalation are limited. This scientific statement provides pragmatic suggestions on temporary mechanical circulatory support device selection, escalation, and weaning strategies in patients with common cardiogenic shock causes such as acute decompensated heart failure and acute myocardial infarction. The goal of this scientific statement is to serve as a resource for clinicians making temporary mechanical circulatory support management decisions and to propose standardized approaches for their use until more robust randomized clinical data are available.

Ethical and Legal Concerns Associated With Withdrawing Mechanical Circulatory Support: A U.S. Perspective

Hundreds of thousands of Americans have advanced heart failure and experience severe symptoms (e. g., dyspnea) with minimal exertion or at rest despite optimal management. Although heart transplant is an effective treatment for advanced heart failure, the demand for organs far exceeds the supply. Another option for these patients is mechanical circulatory support (MCS) provided by devices such as the ventricular assist device and total artificial heart. MCS alleviates symptoms, prolongs life, and provides a "bridge to transplant" or a decision regarding future management such as "destination therapy," in which the patient receives lifelong MCS. However, a patient receiving MCS, or his/her surrogate decision-maker, may conclude ongoing MCS is burdensome and no longer consistent with the patient's healthcare-related values, goals, and preferences and, as a result, request withdrawal of MCS. Likewise, the patient's clinician and care team may conclude ongoing MCS is medically ineffective and recommend its withdrawal. These scenarios raise ethical and legal concerns. In the U.S., it is ethically and legally permissible to carry out an informed patient's or surrogate's request to withdraw any treatment including life-sustaining treatment (LST) if the intent is to remove a treatment perceived by the patient as burdensome and not to terminate intentionally the patient's life. Under these circumstances, death that follows withdrawal of the LST is due to the underlying disease and not a form of physician-assisted suicide or euthanasia. In this article, frequently encountered ethical and legal concerns regarding requests to withdraw MCS are reviewed: the ethical and legal permissibility of withholding or withdrawing LSTs from patients who no longer want such treatments; what to do if the clinician concludes ongoing LST will not result in achieving clinical goals (i.e., medically ineffective); responding to requests to withdraw LST; the features of patients who undergo withdrawal of MCS; the rationale for advance care planning in patients being considered for, or receiving, MCS; and other related topics. Notably, this article reflects a U.S. perspective.

"It's not something that's really been brought up": Opportunities and challenges for ongoing advance care planning discussions among individuals living with mechanical circulatory support

BACKGROUND

People living with mechanical circulatory support (MCS) are at risk for catastrophic complications that require advance care planning (ACP) as part of the preimplantation work up. Palliative care consultants are a mandatory and essential component of the MCS team tasked to enhance conversations. However, in reality, there is often a serious deficiency of ACP communication after the initial implant counseling. A better understanding of opportunities and challenges in ACP can mobilize intensive care unit and step-down nurses to bridge this gap in crucial communication.

OBJECTIVES

To identify and describe MCS individuals' perceptions of opportunities and challenges for ongoing ACP communication.

METHODS

A constructivist grounded theory study was conducted with 24 MCS individuals from 2 medical centers in Southern California. Semi-structured interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and reviewed for accuracy. The data were systematically analyzed through 3 rounds of coding.

RESULTS

MCS clinicians, supportive others, and peers with MCS were identified as stakeholders in ongoing communication. Four categories of opportunities and challenges for ongoing ACP were synthesized from the narratives: identifying context and timing, sharing information, understanding of ACP, and assessing satisfaction. All participants reported a preference for MCS clinicians, including nurses, to initiate ACP conversations.

CONCLUSION

Understanding opportunities and challenges is key to facilitating ongoing ACP discussions among MCS patients. MCS-trained nurses are positioned to address the dearth of ongoing ACP by facilitating these sensitive discussions. The personal accounts of this sample serve to guide future research and structure training to prepare MCS clinicians for primary palliative care.

End-of-life care in the cardiac intensive care unit: a contemporary view from the Critical Care Cardiology Trials Network (CCCTN) Registry

AIMS

Increases in life expectancy, comorbidities, and survival with complex cardiovascular conditions have changed the clinical profile of the patients in cardiac intensive care units (CICUs). In this environment, palliative care (PC) services are increasingly important. However, scarce information is available about the delivery of PC in CICUs.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The Critical Care Cardiology Trials Network (CCCTN) Registry is a network of tertiary care CICUs in North America. Between 2017 and 2020, up to 26 centres contributed an annual 2-month snapshot of all consecutive medical CICU admissions. We captured code status at admission and the decision for comfort measures only (CMO) before all deaths in the CICU. Of 13 422 patients, 10% died in the CICU and 2.6% were discharged to palliative hospice. Of patients who died in the CICU, 68% were CMO at death. In the CMO group, only 13% were do not resuscitate/do not intubate at admission. The median time from CICU admission to CMO decision was 3.4 days (25th-75th percentiles: 1.2-7.7) and ≥7 days in 27%. Time from CMO decision to death was <24 h in 88%, with a median of 3.8 h (25th-75th 1.0-10.3). Before a CMO decision, 78% received mechanical ventilation and 26% mechanical circulatory support. A PC provider team participated in the care of 41% of patients who died.

CONCLUSIONS

In a contemporary CICU registry, comfort measures preceded death in two-thirds of cases, frequently without PC involvement. The high utilization of advanced intensive care unit therapies and lengthy times to a CMO decision highlight a potential opportunity for early engagement of PC teams in CICU.

The Fountain of Youth Will Not Last Forever: End of Life in Patients Receiving Mechanical Circulatory Support

Health care providers face a unique set of decision-making, assessment, and equipment challenges at the end of life of patients supported with a left ventricular assist device. The aim for this article is to assist the multidisciplinary team in caring for patients with a left ventricular assist device in all phases of end-of-life care. This review includes common causes of death for patients with a left ventricular assist device, assessment at end of life, physiological and palliative care considerations, withdrawal of left ventricular assist device support, and equipment considerations.

Mortality After Elective Surgery: The Potential Role for Preoperative Palliative Care

BACKGROUND

Preoperative optimization is increasingly emphasized for high-risk surgical patients. One critical component of this includes preoperative advanced care planning to promote goal-concordant care. We aimed to define a subset of patients that might benefit from preoperative palliative care consult for advanced care planning.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We examined adult patients admitted from January 2016 to December 2018 to a university health system for elective surgery. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify variables associated with death within 1 y, and presence of palliative care consults preoperatively. Chi-square analysis evaluated the impact of a palliative care consult on advanced care planning variables.

RESULTS

Of the 29,132 inpatient elective procedures performed, there was a 2.0% mortality rate at 6 mo and 3.5% at 1 y. Those who died were more likely to be older, male, underweight (BMI <18), or have undergone an otolaryngology, neurosurgery or thoracic procedure type (all P-values < 0.05). At the time of admission, 29% had an advance directive, 90% had a documented code status, and 0.3% had a preoperative palliative care consult. Patients were more likely to have an advanced directive, a power of attorney, a documented code status, and have a do not resuscitate order if they had a palliative care consult (all P-values <0.05). The mortality rates and preoperative palliative care rates per procedure type did not follow similar trends.

CONCLUSIONS

Preoperative palliative care consultation before elective admissions for surgery had a significant impact on advanced care planning.

[Palliative care in patients with left ventricular assist devices: systematic review]

Hintergrund

Bei terminal herzinsuffizienten Patienten gewinnt die Implantation von Linksherzunterstützungssystemen (LVAD) als Therapieoption zunehmend an Bedeutung. Diese Systeme werden als Überbrückung bis zu einer Herztransplantation (BTT) oder als definitive Therapie (DT) eingesetzt. Sie können die Lebensqualität verbessern und die Lebenszeit verlängern. Trotzdem bleibt die Prognose besonders bei DT oder bei Wechsel von BTT zu DT mit Blick auf die Lebenszeit und auftretende Komplikationen ungünstig. Bisher ist ungeklärt, ob eine LVAD-Implantation eine Indikation für eine frühzeitige Integration von Palliativmedizin darstellt.

Ziel der Arbeit

Erfassung der aktuellen Studienlage über den Einfluss einer palliativmedizinischen Behandlung bei LVAD-Patienten.

Material und Methoden

Im Mai 2020 wurde eine systematische Literaturrecherche in 6 verschiedenen Datenbanken durchgeführt.

Ergebnisse

Von den 491 Treffern der Literaturrecherche wurden 21 Arbeiten in diese Übersichtsarbeit eingeschlossen. Durch die frühzeitige Integration der Palliativmedizin vor LVAD-Implantation erhöhte sich die Anzahl der Patienten mit vorausschauender Versorgungsplanung und Vorsorgeinstrumenten. Außerdem zeigte sich ein positiver Einfluss auf das familiäre Umfeld, das Symptommanagement und die Umstände des Versterbens. Es gibt verschiedene Formate für die Integration palliativmedizinischer Konzepte in die LVAD-Therapie.

Diskussion

Die frühzeitige und kontinuierliche Einbindung der Palliativmedizin im Verlauf einer LVAD-Therapie kann die Behandlungsqualität verbessern. Die Ausarbeitung von spezifischen Handlungsempfehlungen ist in Abhängigkeit vom Therapieziel (BTT oder DT) sinnvoll. Empfohlen werden Schulungen für Palliativmediziner und LVAD-Spezialisten.

An International Study on Ventricular Assist Device Program Models

BACKGROUND

Advanced technology and improved outcomes have led to rapid growth of ventricular assist devices (VADs) throughout the world, but little exists regarding their structure. We sought to study trends in VAD programs on a global level.

METHODS

We distributed a 26-question online survey to 321 individuals who work within those programs. Four categories of questions were formed: patient management, coordinator role, multidisciplinary support, and leadership.

RESULTS

Fifty-eight surveys (47 United States, 11 international) were analyzed. The majority of programs cared for 26 to 100 device-assisted patients (62%), 26% cared for ≤25 patients, and 12% cared for ≥100 patients. Advanced practice providers (APPs) were used in 69% of programs as a device coordinator. In-hospital rounding was performed equally among the APPs and registered nurses. Most programs used a social worker (90%), nutritionist (74%), pharmacist (72%), palliative care (66%), and finance coordinator (64%). Less than half (43%) included a case manager and only 33% used a pharmacist. The program leader was identified as a cardiologist (31%) or surgeon (26%) or both equally (43%).

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrates differences and similarities between VAD program structures. Additional research is warranted to evaluate the effect of program structure on outcomes, job satisfaction, and retention regions.

Life Beyond Heart Failure-What Are the Long-Term Challenges, Supportive Care Needs, and Views Toward Supportive Care of Multiethnic Asian Patients With Left Ventricular Assist Device and Their Caregivers?

CONTEXT

Challenges experienced by patients with the left ventricular assist device (LVAD) and their caregivers during the early period after LVAD implantation are well documented. However, little is known about long-term challenges, supportive care needs, and views toward supportive care of Asian LVAD patients and caregivers.

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to explore the experiences of multiethnic Asian LVAD patients and caregivers so as to identify their long-term challenges, supportive care needs, and views toward supportive care.

METHODS

Semistructured interviews with LVAD patients and caregivers were conducted based on the grounded theory approach. Participants were purposively recruited from the inpatient and outpatient settings of the National Heart Center Singapore.

RESULTS

A total of 30 patients and 11 caregivers participated. More than half of the participants were Chinese (patients 63%; caregivers 64%). Most patients (83%) were males, whereas most caregivers were females (91%). The median duration on support was 31 months and 46 months for patients and caregivers, respectively. The implantation of the LVAD was a significant milestone in their lives and caused long-term changes in multiple domains (physical, financial, social, psychoemotional, and spiritual). Experiencing permanent and recurrent losses over time was particularly challenging. Participants expressed the need for mutual support between patient and caregiver and connectedness with others and society at large. Participants desired holistic supportive care from their health care team.

CONCLUSION

Asian LVAD patients and caregivers experienced long-term challenges and had unique supportive care needs. Our findings have implications on the design of future interventions and supportive care models.

Palliative care in pediatric heart failure and transplantation

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Advanced heart failure in children is characterized by dynamic clinical trajectories, uncertainty of prognosis, and intermittent need for difficult decision-making, often related to novel therapeutic interventions with uncertain impact on quality of life. This review will examine the current role of palliative care to support this unique population.

RECENT FINDINGS

Pediatric heart failure patients commonly die in ICUs with high burden of invasive therapies together with end of life care needs. In addition, several studies advocate for integration of palliative care early in disease trajectory, not only focused on end of life care. Many advocate for the core tenets of palliative care (symptom management, communication of prognosis, and advanced care planning) to be provided by the primary cardiology team, with consultation by pediatric palliative care specialists. There is also a consensus that palliative care training should be incorporated into pediatric advanced heart disease training programs.

SUMMARY

Palliative care is an important component of pediatric heart failure care. Research and quality improvement efforts are needed to determine the most effective palliative care interventions for children with advanced heart disease. Provision of palliative care is an essential component of training for pediatric heart failure and transplant specialists.

Human Factors and User Experience Issues with Ventricular Assist Device Wearable Components: A Systematic Review

Ventricular Assist Devices (VADs) provide continuous mechanical circulatory support during in- and out-of-hospital care. However, limitations of the external wearable components influence patient quality of life. There is insufficient understanding of the issues with such components that combines a holistic viewpoint from both human factors and user (including patient and caregiver) experience perspectives. This paper comprehensively details the issues with VAD wearable systems and proposes a way for human-centered design to bridge the gap, addressing such issues synergistically. Through the review the authors investigated: the user issues caused by wearable components of VADs, and how human factors issues correlate to the VAD user experience. A Boolean search ("ventricular assist" AND "human factors" AND "experience") for peer-reviewed studies published between 2008 and 2018 returned 338 titles, with 35 relevant studies selected using a PRISMA process for inclusion in cross-study analysis and synthesis. This paper provides design recommendations for the issues found in the literature. Four key focus areas to inform the future design of VAD wearable components were identified-'Power Supply', 'Wearability and Travel Freedom', 'The Female Experience' and 'Intuitive Handling'. Using design to drive innovation could result in VAD wearable components which better meet or exceed users' quality of life goals.

Destination Therapy: Standardizing the Role of Palliative Medicine and Delineating the DT-LVAD Journey

CONTEXT

Destination therapy (DT) patients face significant challenges as they transition from chronic left ventricular assist device (LVAD) support to comfort-oriented care. Integration of palliative medicine (PM) into the multidisciplinary team is important to facilitate advanced care planning (ACP) and improve quality of life (QoL).

OBJECTIVES

We evaluated the impact of a structured programmatic approach to the end-of-life (EOL) process in DT patients as measured by QoL surveys and the utilization of ACP.

METHODS

We instituted a four prong intervention approach: 1) delineated the path from implant to EOL by defining specific stages, including a transitional phase where care limits were agreed upon, 2) standardized the role of PM, 3) held transitional care meetings to support shared decision-making, and 4) held multidisciplinary team debriefings to facilitate communication. Preintervention and postintervention outcomes were measured for patients/caregivers by using the QUAL-E/QUAL-E (family) QoL instrument. Wilcoxon signed-ranks test compared nonparametric variables.

RESULTS

All patients (n = 41)/caregivers (n = 28) reported improved QoL measures (patient P = 0.035/caregiver P = 0.046). Preparedness plans increased from 52% to 73% after implementation and advance directives increased from 71% to 83%. Fifty-nine percent of the patients completed an outpatient PM clinic visit; 51% completed/scheduled a second visit. Clinician outcomes improved including satisfaction with multidisciplinary team communication/expectations, ACP processes, and EOL management.

CONCLUSION

A programmatic approach that standardizes the role of PM and delineates the patient's path from implant to EOL improved quality outcomes and increased implementation of ACP. A defined communication process allowed the multidisciplinary team to have a clear patient management approach.

A Systematic Review of Cost-Effectiveness Analyses of Left Ventricular Assist Devices: Issues and Challenges

BACKGROUND

Advanced heart failure (HF) can be treated conservatively or aggressively, with left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) and heart transplant (HT) being the most aggressive strategies.

OBJECTIVE

The goal of this review was to identify, describe, critique and summarize published cost-effectiveness analyses on LVADs for adults with HF.

METHODS

We conducted a literature search using PubMed and ProQuest DIALOG databases to identify English-language publications from 2006 to 2017 describing cost-effectiveness analyses of LVADs and reviewed them against inclusion criteria. Those that met criteria were obtained for full-text review and abstracted if they continued to meet study requirements.

RESULTS

A total of 12 cost-effectiveness studies (13 articles) were identified, all of which described models; they were almost evenly split between those examining LVADs as destination therapy (DT) or as bridge to transplant (BTT). Studies were Markov or semi-Markov models with one- or three-month cycles that followed patients until death. Inputs came from a variety of sources, with the REMATCH trial and INTERMACS registry common clinical data sources, although some publications also used data from studies at their own institutions. Costs were derived from standard sources in many studies but from individual hospital data in some. Inputs for health utilities, which were used in 11 of 12 studies, were generally derived from two studies. None of the studies reported a societal perspective, that is, included non-medical costs such as caregiving.

CONCLUSIONS

No study found LVADs to be cost effective for DT or BTT with base case assumptions, although incremental cost-effectiveness ratios met thresholds for cost effectiveness in some probabilistic analyses. With constant improvements in LVADs and expanding indications, understanding and re-evaluating the cost effectiveness of their use will be critical to making treatment decisions.

To explore the prevalence and outcomes of advance care planning for patients with left ventricular assist devices: A review

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

To explore the prevalence and outcomes of advance care planning for patients with left ventricular assist devices: a review.

BACKGROUND

End-stage heart failure is associated with significant symptom burden at rest. Left ventricular assist devices are not curative; nevertheless, they alleviate symptoms and prolong survival. Evidence suggests that most patients with left ventricular assist devices and their families do not have open discussions regarding end-of-life wishes until catastrophic complications arise. Therefore, it is important to understand reasons for this, so healthcare professionals such as nurses can facilitate the process.

DESIGN

A mixed-studies integrative review with a narrative synthesis of the evidence. PRISMA guidelines were followed for reporting systematic qualitative reviews.

METHOD

A search of four electronic data in January 2018 and a hand search yielded 139 citations; seven studies met the review eligibility criteria. Methodological quality of the selected studies was evaluated, and data were extracted and compiled.

RESULTS

Three themes were identified: prevalence and feasibility of advanced care planning, advance care planning developed for patients with device support, patients' and caregivers' perceptions of advanced care planning discussions. Advanced care planning is underused routinely implemented in left ventricular device centres. Pre-implantation advanced care planning is feasible and results in the highest rate of documented advance decisions which are useful for both patients and their loved ones in cases of complications.

CONCLUSION

Strong evidence that left ventricular assist-specific advanced care planning is recommended for all left ventricular assist device patients to enable their treatment preferences in case of incurable complications. Palliative care services should collaborate with nurses in designing and facilitating advanced care planning for delisted transplant patients. Patients with left ventricular devices awaiting heart transplant and those waiting for myocardium healing are underrepresented in the current studies. Research on the optimal timing of advanced care planning in these groups of patients is indicated.

RELEVANCE FOR CLINICAL PRACTICE

There is a need for improved approaches to advanced care planning for and with people with left ventricular devices.

Pre-Ventricular Assist Device Palliative Care Consultation: A Qualitative Analysis

INTRODUCTION

In 2013, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued a mandate requiring that all patients undergoing destination therapy ventricular assist device (DT VAD) implantation have access to a palliative care team before surgery. Subsequently, many VAD programs implemented a mandatory preimplantation palliative care consultation for patients considering DT VAD. However, little is known about the quality of these consults.

METHODS

All patients undergoing DT VAD implantation at Northwestern Memorial Hospital from October 30, 2013 (the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services decision date), through March 1, 2018, were included. Palliative care consultation notes were qualitatively analyzed for elements of "palliative care assessment" and preparedness planning.

RESULTS

Sixty-eight preimplantation palliative care consultations were analyzed. Fifty-six percent of the consults occurred in the intensive care unit, and the median time from consult to VAD implant was six days. General palliative care elements were infrequently discussed. Furthermore, the elements of preparedness planning-device failure, post-VAD health-related quality of life, device complications, and progressive comorbidities-were discussed in only 10%, 54%, 49%, and 12% of consultations, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

One-time preimplantation palliative care consultations at our institution do not lead to completion of preparedness planning or even general palliative care assessment. Further work is needed to determine the most effective way to integrate palliative care into preimplantation care.

Promoting Primary Palliative Care in Severe Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Symptom Management and Preparedness Planning

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) poses challenges not only in symptom management but also in prognostication. Managing COPD requires clinicians to be proficient in the primary palliative care skills of symptom management and communication focused on eliciting goals and preferences. Dyspnea should initially be managed with the combination of long-acting muscarinic antagonists and long-acting β-agonist inhalers, adding inhaled corticosteroids if symptoms persist. Opioids for the relief of dyspnea are safe when used at appropriate doses. Oxygen is only effective for relieving dyspnea in patients with severe hypoxemia. The relapsing-remitting nature of COPD makes prognostication challenging; however, there are tools to guide clinicians and patients in making plans both with respect to prognosis and symptom burden. Preparedness planning techniques promote detailed culturally appropriate conversations which allow patients and clinicians to consider disease-specific complications and develop goal-concordant treatment plans.

Palliative Care and Advance Care Planning in Pulmonary Hypertension

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a progressive disease with high associated morbidity and mortality despite the development of novel therapies. Palliative care is a multidisciplinary field focused on optimization of quality of life and overall supportive care for patients and their families in the setting of life-limiting illness. Although the benefits of palliative care in oncology are well described, there are few studies regarding the timing and involvement of palliative care in PH patients. In this paper, we describe the importance of longitudinal advance care planning, including suggestions for addressing difficult topics such as end-of-life care, and the role of palliative care providers in helping guide these discussions throughout the course of the illness.

Refractory Schizophrenia, Attempted Suicide, and Withdrawal of Life Support: A Clinical Ethics Case Report

BACKGROUND

Withdrawal of life support for an individual with refractory schizophrenia after attempted suicide remains controversial. Discussion regarding prognosis of mental illness and the distinction between somatic and mental illness brings out many ethical issues. This article will examine the role and weight of severe persistent mental illness in the withdrawal of life support after attempted suicide.

CASE DESCRIPTION

A 30-year-old gentleman with deafness and schizophrenia was admitted with multiple self-inflicted visceral stab wounds. He developed postoperative complications necessitating ongoing critical care. The parties involved were as follows: the patient, his parents, the critical care trauma service, the palliative and psychiatry consult services, and the ethics committee. Over the patient's hospital course, his parents struggled to reconcile his poor preinjury quality of life with his ongoing need for intensive medical intervention. The primary and consulting teams were required to integrate differing perspectives on the patient's past responsiveness to treatment and the extent to which additional efforts might advance his quality of life and limit his future suffering and suicidality. The patient's surrogate decision makers unanimously requested withdrawal of life support. An ethics committee convened to address the question of whether refractory schizophrenia can produce so poor a quality of life as to merit the withdrawal of life-sustaining measures after a suicide attempt. Consensus was achieved, and life-sustaining measures were subsequently withdrawn, allowing the patient to pass away peacefully in an inpatient hospice facility.

Implementing Routine Palliative Care Consultation Before LVAD Implantation: A Single Center Experience

CONTEXT

Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) are increasingly used to improve quality of life for end-stage heart failure patients. The Joint Commission now requires preimplantation palliative care assessment; however, many palliative care teams have little experience providing this service.

OBJECTIVE

To describe the integration of palliative services at one Center of Excellence for Heart and Vascular Care.

METHODS

This is a retrospective chart review of all patients receiving LVADs at a single urban academic medical center from January 2015 to September 2016. Palliative care needs and services provided are described. Two case presentations illustrate the collaboration between the cardiothoracic and palliative care teams.

RESULTS

Fifty one patients were included. Of those, 28 received a palliative care consultation during this roll-out period. The rate of consultation rose from 35% to 71% as workflows improved with institutional commitment. Symptom assessment, psychosocial assessment, and advance care planning (ACP) were always performed (n = 28; 100%). More than half of the patients were evaluated for dyspnea (n = 20; 71%), fatigue (n = 18; 64%), and pain (n = 16; 57%). Consults centered around ACP, and very few patients (n = 7; 25%) required palliative care follow-up. Palliative consultation did not delay LVAD placement.

CONCLUSION

Although palliative care consultants provided initial evaluation and management of multiple symptoms, there was not a large ongoing need. Integration of palliative services into the care of patients receiving LVADs can be incorporated into the workflow of the cardiothoracic and palliative care teams, resulting in improved ACP for all patients receiving LVADs and better care coordination for patients at the end of life.

Palliative Care for Patients With Advanced Heart Disease

Over the past 2 decades, the discipline of palliative care has evolved and expanded such that it is now the standard of care for a variety of acute and chronic processes. Although there are recommendations encouraging incorporation of palliative care into the routine management of patients with chronic cardiac processes, such as congestive heart failure, implementation has been challenging, and nowhere more so than in the cardiac surgical population. However, as the boundaries of surgical care have expanded to include progressively more complex cases, increasing attention has been given to the integration of palliative care into their management. In this review article, the authors describe the existing evidence for palliative care team involvement in patients with non-operative and surgical cardiac diseases and examine future directions for growth in this field.

Cardiac Palliative Medicine

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Heart failure is an illness with high morbidity and mortality that affects 5.7 million Americans. As advanced heart therapies become more prevalent care for patients and families is becoming more complex. The American Heart Association has released a policy statement recommending continuous, high-quality access to palliative care for all patients with heart failure, and the Center for Medicare Services requires palliative care involvement in mechanical circulatory support teams.

RECENT FINDINGS

The National Quality Forum developed eight domains of palliative care that are required for high-quality delivery of comprehensive palliative care. This article assesses each domain and how it pertains to evolving care of patients with advanced heart failure. Leadership from heart failure teams should review the domains of palliative care to ensure they are improving primary palliative care skills as well as identifying areas needed to improve funding so that patients have access to comprehensive specialty level palliative care.

Palliative Care Clinicians Caring for Patients Before and After Continuous Flow-Left Ventricular Assist Device

Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) are an available treatment option for carefully selected patients with advanced heart failure. Initially developed as a bridge to transplantation, LVADs are now also offered to patients ineligible for transplantation as destination therapy (DT). Individuals with a DT-LVAD will live the remainder of their lives with the device in place. Although survival and quality of life improve with LVADs compared with medical therapy, complications persist including bleeding, infection, and stroke. There has been increased emphasis on involving palliative care (PC) specialists in LVAD programs, specifically the DT-LVAD population, from the pre-implantation process through the end of life. Palliative care specialists are well poised to provide education, guidance, and support to patients, families, and clinicians throughout the LVAD journey. This article addresses the complexities of the LVAD population, describes key challenges faced by PC specialists, and discusses opportunities for building collaboration between PC specialists and LVAD teams.

Palliative Medicine and Preparedness Planning for Patients Receiving Left Ventricular Assist Device as Destination Therapy-Challenges to Measuring Impact and Change in Institutional Culture

CONTEXT

Although left ventricular assist devices as destination therapy (DT-LVAD) can improve survival, quality of life, and functional capacity in well-selected patients with advanced heart failure, there remain unique challenges to providing quality end-of-life care in this population. Palliative care involvement is universally recommended, but how to best operationalize this care and measure success is unknown.

OBJECTIVES

To characterize the process of preparedness planning (PP) for patients receiving DT-LVAD at our institution and better understand opportunities for quality improvement or procedural transferability.

METHODS

Retrospective review of 107 consecutive patients undergoing DT-LVAD implantation at a single institution between 2009 and 2013. Information regarding demographics, advance care planning, and mortality was abstracted from the medical record and analyzed. Findings were compared with a historical cohort who received DT-LVAD implantation at the same institution before the development of PP (2003-2009).

RESULTS

Mean age of patients receiving DT-LVAD was 64.3 years (SD ± 10.7). At last follow-up, 46 patients (43%) had died. Mean post-DT-LVAD survival in this group was 1.1 years (SD ± 1.2). Eighty-nine percent of patient had palliative care consultation before implantation, and 70% completed PP. Although 66% of patients completed an advance directive (AD) preimplantation, only two ADs (2.8%) specifically mentioned DT-LVAD and none addressed core elements of PP. AD completion rates improved from 47% before our policy on PP (P = 0.012).

CONCLUSION

A disconnect was evident between the rigor of PP discussions and the content of ADs in the medical record. We urge that future efforts focus on narrowing this gap.

Complex Care Options for Patients With Advanced Heart Failure Approaching End of Life

Care for patients with advanced cardiac disease continues to evolve in a complex milieu of therapeutic options, advanced technological interventions, and efforts at improving patient-centered care and shared decision-making. Despite improvements in quality of life and survival with these interventions, optimal supportive care across the advanced illness trajectory remains diverse and heterogeneous. Herein, we outline challenges in prognostication, communication, and caregiving in advanced heart failure and review the unique needs of patients who experience frequent hospitalizations, require chronic home inotropic support, and who have implantable cardioverter-defibrillators and mechanical circulatory support in situ, to name a few.

Usefulness of Palliative Care to Complement the Management of Patients on Left Ventricular Assist Devices

Within the last decade, advancements in left ventricular assist device therapy have allowed patients with end-stage heart failure (HF) to live longer and with better quality of life. Like other life-saving interventions, however, there remains the risk of complications including infections, bleeding episodes, and stroke. The candidate for left ventricular assist device therapy faces complex challenges going forward, both physical and psychological, many of which may benefit from the application of palliative care principles by trained specialists. Despite these advantages, palliative care remains underused in many advanced HF programs. Here, we describe the benefits of palliative care, barriers to use within HF, and specific applications to the integrated care of patients on mechanical circulatory support.

Palliative Care for the Geriatric Anesthesiologist

Many seriously ill geriatric patients are at higher risk for perioperative morbidity and mortality, and incorporating proactive palliative care principles may be appropriate. Advanced care planning is a hallmark of palliative care in that it facilitates alignment of the goals of care between the patient and the health care team. When these goals conflict, perioperative dilemmas can occur. Anesthesiologists must overcome many cultural and religious barriers when managing the care of these patients. Palliative care is gaining ground in several perioperative populations where integration with certain patient groups has occurred. Geriatric anesthesiologists must be aware of how palliative care and hospice influence and enhance the care of elderly patients.

Compassionate deactivation of ventricular assist devices in pediatric patients

Despite greatly improved survival in pediatric patients with end-stage heart failure through the use of ventricular assist devices (VADs), heart failure ultimately remains a life-threatening disease with a significant symptom burden. With increased demand for donor organs, liberalizing the boundaries of case complexity, and the introduction of destination therapy in children, more children can be expected to die while on mechanical support. Despite this trend, guidelines on the ethical and pragmatic issues of compassionate deactivation of VAD support in children are strikingly absent. As VAD support for pediatric patients increases in frequency, the pediatric heart failure and palliative care communities must work toward establishing guidelines to clarify the complex issues surrounding compassionate deactivation. Patient, family and clinician attitudes must be ascertained and education regarding the psychological, legal and ethical issues should be provided. Furthermore, pediatric-specific planning documents for use before VAD implantation as well as deactivation checklists should be developed to assist with decision-making at critical points during the illness trajectory. Herein we review the relevant literature regarding compassionate deactivation with a specific focus on issues related to children.