Making the Case for Palliative Care in Critical Care

Tonja M Hartjes

doi:10.1016/j.cnc.2015.05.004

Making the Case for Palliative Care in Critical Care

Crit Care Nurs Clin North Am. 2015 Sep;27(3):289-95. doi: 10.1016/j.cnc.2015.05.004. Epub 2015 Jun 23.

Author

Tonja M Hartjes¹

Affiliation

¹ Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Program, University of Florida, College of Nursing, 1225 Center Drive, PO Box 100187, Gainesville, FL 32610-0187, USA. Electronic address: hartjtm@ufl.edu.

PMID: 26333751
DOI: 10.1016/j.cnc.2015.05.004

Abstract

The United States has a changing populace with an increasing number of vulnerable, diverse, and older adults. Of people aged 65 and older, nearly two-thirds suffer from serious comorbidities. Costs associated with chronic illness increase with age and number of conditions. More than 25% of older adults do not have advanced care planning. The current model of health care cannot meet these needs. The initiation of palliative care in the ICU will capture many patients who meet the criteria for palliative care and improve their QOL by management their end-of-life symptoms and reduce unnecessary utilization of health care resources.

Keywords: Communication; ED; ICU; Interdisciplinary teams; Outcomes; Palliative care; Quality of life.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Critical Care
Critical Care Nursing / methods*
Critical Care Nursing / standards
Critical Illness
Decision Making
Hospice and Palliative Care Nursing / methods*
Hospice and Palliative Care Nursing / standards
Humans
Intensive Care Units
Interdisciplinary Communication
Palliative Care
Patient Care Team
Quality of Life
Referral and Consultation