Creating a Palliative Care Inpatient Response Plan for COVID-19-The UW Medicine Experience

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Palliative Care
• Public Health Emergencies

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic has severely strained global healthcare systems.
• Severe illness and high hospital admission rates, particularly among older adults with comorbidities, necessitate robust support.
• Palliative care is crucial for managing severe COVID-19 cases and supporting patients and families.

Purpose of the Study:

• To share a multifaceted strategy for implementing high-quality palliative care within a multihospital system during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• To provide a framework adaptable for other healthcare institutions facing similar challenges.
• To focus palliative care efforts on high-impact areas like emergency departments, ICUs, and acute care services.

Main Methods:

• Development of a palliative care strategy by UW Medicine's palliative care programs with input from healthcare system leadership.
• Incorporation of conventional, contingency, and crisis capacity models into the strategy.
• Focus on key content areas: goals of care, symptom management (moderate to severe), and family support.

Main Results:

• A comprehensive strategy was developed to integrate palliative care across different hospital capacities (conventional, contingency, crisis).
• The strategy targets critical care areas including emergency departments, intensive care units, and acute care services.
• Key interventions include identifying and addressing patient goals of care, managing severe symptoms, and providing family support.

Conclusions:

• Strategic planning for palliative care delivery is essential for healthcare systems during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Sharing this strategy can help other institutions rapidly develop and adapt their own palliative care responses.
• The proposed strategy ensures high-quality palliative care is accessible even under crisis conditions.