Intensive care unit trainee perception of end-of-life care provided during medical emergency team activation events

Hospital medical emergency team (MET) activation events involving end-of-life care (EOLC) are common. The issues faced by medical staff attending these events are incompletely described.

The purpose of this study was to measure the perceptions of Victorian hospital medical staff, training in the speciality of intensive care, about multiple aspects of EOLC MET calls. We sought to determine the overall extent of formal training in MET and EOLC and assess the domains of self-perceived confidence, barriers to communication, frequency of clinician agreement and trainee distress.

We conducted an anonymous, voluntary, Internet-based survey of registered trainees of the College of Intensive Care Medicine of Australia and New Zealand in May 2019. The participants eligible were those trainees working in an adult intensive care unit in Victoria, Australia, during the study period. The main outcome measures were self-reported levels of confidence, barriers to communication, frequency of conflict and distress, senior support, supervision and access to training.

Of 124 trainees surveyed, 75 (60%) responded. Overall, 78% of respondents felt confident to manage EOLC MET calls, but the frequently reported barriers to effective patient/next of kin communication included: (i) lack of private meeting rooms; (ii) resource and time constraints; and (iii) lack of patient and family availability during a MET call to discuss medical treatment limitations. Two-thirds of respondents reported emotional distress at least occasionally, this being frequent in one in five. Most (68%) trainees experienced conflict with other medical teams at least occasionally. Factors associated with experiencing distress at least occasionally include greater trainee age, patients' being unable to participate in discussion due to illness, resource and time constraints and negative encounters with other medical teams.

Victorian intensive care trainees were confident managing EOLC MET activation events. However, distress was reported commonly and strategies are required to address the areas of concern.