MedPath

(DIS)AGreement of Relatives Regarding Ethical End-of-life Decisions in ICU.

Active, not recruiting
Conditions
Cessation of Treatment
End of Life
Interventions
Other: observational
Registration Number
NCT05768906
Lead Sponsor
Société Française d'Anesthésie et de Réanimation
Brief Summary

In the ICU, the vast majority of patients die following a life-sustaining therapies (LST) limitation decision. Most often, the patient is not able to express himself and has not made his wishes known beforehand, for example in the form of advance directives. The "relatives" are then the only recourse to state the patient's wishes, without any guarantee that they are aware of them. In France, the final decision is made by the physician (or the medical team) who is responsible for it. In this context, disagreements and even real legal conflicts on LST limitation decisions between relatives and physicians seem to be more and more frequent. To our knowledge, few data exist on the frequency of these disagreements over LST limitation decisions.

The main objective of this study is to evaluate the frequency of disagreements between relatives and physicians over LST limitation decisions in adult intensive care.

Detailed Description

Context In the ICU, the vast majority of patients die following a life-sustaining therapies (LST) limitation decision. Most often, the patient is not able to express himself and has not made his wishes known beforehand, for example in the form of advance directives. The "relatives" are then the only recourse to state the patient's wishes, without any guarantee that they are aware of them. In France, the final decision is made by the physician (or the medical team) who is responsible for it. In this context, disagreements and even real legal conflicts on LST limitation decisions between relatives and physicians seem to be more and more frequent. To our knowledge, few data exist on the frequency of these disagreements over LST limitation decisions.

Purpose The main objective of this study is to evaluate the frequency of disagreements between relatives and physicians over LST limitation decisions in adult intensive care.

The secondary objectives are:

* To assess the level of agreement/disagreement between family members and physicians regarding LST limitation decisions

* To assess the proportion of disagreements experienced as conflictual

* To assess the impact of the disagreement on the LST limitation decision (implementation of the decision, time between the decision and its implementation, length of hospitalization...)

* To describe possible factors that contribute to disagreement and conflict

* To describe national LST limitation decision-making practices.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
400
Inclusion Criteria
  • Consecutive inclusion of all situations in which a life-sustaining therapies limitation decision was made
  • Patients hospitalized in a French intensive care unit
  • Age of the patient ≥ 18 years
  • If relatives are present, age of at least one of the relatives ≥ 18 years NB: situations of "non-re-admission" decisions in intensive care are not taken into account in the inclusion criteria.
Exclusion Criteria
  • Minor patient
  • Patient under guardianship
  • Conscious patient, able to express himself/herself and able to decide jointly with the medical team
  • Patient for whom a life-sustaining therapies limitation decision was already made prior to ICU admission.

Study & Design

Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Study Design
Not specified
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Life-sustaining therapies limitation decision situations - observation onlyobservationalFor each participating center, consecutive inclusion of the first 10 life-sustaining therapies limitation decision situations from the study start date over a maximum of 12 months. Data collection for these patients especialy information concerning disagreements and even real legal conflicts on life-sustaining therapies limitation decisions between relatives and physicians.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Frequency of disagreements - Using linkert scaleAt the latest by may 31, 2024

Evaluate the frequency of disagreements between relatives and physicians over LST limitation decisions in adult intensive care. A linkert scale will be used to cote the disagreements and will be completed by the investigator.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Proportion of disagreements experienced as conflictual - Using linkert scaleAt the latest by may 31, 2024

To assess the proportion of disagreements experienced as conflictual. A linkert scale will be used to cote the level of Proportion of disagreements experienced as conflictual and will be completed by the investigator. Data will be expressed as numbers and percentages or medians and interquartile ranges. The data will be compared by the appropriate non-parametric tests.

Impact of the disagreement on the life-sustaining therapies limitation decision. Evaluation by questionnary.At the latest by may 31, 2024

To assess the impact of the disagreement on the life-sustaining therapies limitation decision. Questionnary will be completed by the investigator.Data will be expressed as numbers and percentages or medians and interquartile ranges. The data will be compared by the appropriate non-parametric tests.

Level of agreement/disagreement - Using linkert scaleAt the latest by may 31, 2024

To assess the level of agreement/disagreement between family members and physicians regarding life-sustaining therapies limitation decisions. A linkert scale will be used to cote the level of agreement/disagreement and will be completed by the investigator. Data will be expressed as numbers and percentages or medians and interquartile ranges. The data will be compared by the appropriate non-parametric tests.

Factors identificationAt the latest by may 31, 2024

To describe possible factors that contribute to disagreement and conflict. Data will be expressed as numbers and percentages or medians and interquartile ranges. The data will be compared by the appropriate non-parametric tests

Description of national practices - Aggregation of responses from all sitesAt the latest by may 31, 2024

To describe national life-sustaining therapies limitation decision-making practices.

Aggregation of responses to questions of the CRF from all sites Data will be expressed as numbers and percentages or medians and interquartile ranges. The data will be compared by the appropriate non-parametric tests.

Trial Locations

Locations (23)

CH d'Aurillac (CH Henri Mondor)

🇫🇷

Aurillac, France

CHU de Clermont Ferrand - Hôpital Gabriel Montpied

🇫🇷

Clermont-Ferrand, France

Hôpital Saint Camille

🇫🇷

Bry-sur-Marne, France

Hôpital Beaujon - Réanimation chirurgicale polyvalente

🇫🇷

Clichy, France

Hôpital Beaujon - Réanimation hépato-digestive

🇫🇷

Clichy, France

CH de Dieppe

🇫🇷

Dieppe, France

CHU de Dijon

🇫🇷

Dijon, France

Hôpital Simone Veil- Eaubonne

🇫🇷

Eaubonne, France

CH de Grasse

🇫🇷

Grasse, France

GHEF (Grand Hôpital de l'Est Francilien)-Site de Marne la Vallée

🇫🇷

Jossigny, France

CHU de Grenoble-Alpes

🇫🇷

La Tronche, France

CH de Lens

🇫🇷

Lens, France

CHU de Montpellier - Gui de Chauliac

🇫🇷

Montpellier, France

Hôpital Lariboisière_APHP - Réanimation Chirurgicale Polyvalente

🇫🇷

Paris, France

Institut Mutualiste Montsouris -

🇫🇷

Paris, France

Fondation Ophtalmologique Adolphe de Rothschild

🇫🇷

Paris, France

Hôpital privé Claude Galien

🇫🇷

Quincy-sous-Sénart, France

CHU de Reims - Réanimation chirurgicale

🇫🇷

Reims, France

CHU de Toulouse-Rangueil - Réanimation Polyvalente

🇫🇷

Toulouse, France

CHBA Vannes-Auray

🇫🇷

Vannes, France

CH Versailles

🇫🇷

Versailles, France

HIA Robert Picqué

🇫🇷

Villenave-d'Ornon, France

Médipôle Lyon Villeurbanne

🇫🇷

Villeurbanne, France

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