Communication Training and Code Status Conversation Patterns Reported by Emergency Clinicians

Area of Science:

• Emergency Medicine
• Palliative Care
• Medical Communication

Background:

• Emergency clinicians manage end-of-life care decisions for critically ill patients.
• Understanding communication practices in serious illness is crucial.
• The impact of specialized training on these conversations is not well-documented.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare self-reported practices in code status conversations among emergency clinicians.
• To assess the influence of serious illness communication training on these discussions.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional survey was administered to emergency clinicians at two academic medical centers.
• Participants reported their likelihood of asking about patient preferences for procedures and values/goals.
• Respondents were categorized based on whether they received recent, tailored serious illness communication training.

Main Results:

• Of 161 respondents, 48% had received the training.
• 70% inquired about procedures, while only 38% asked about end-of-life values.
• Trained clinicians were significantly more likely to explore patient life priorities (aOR=4.34).

Conclusions:

• Most clinicians discuss procedures, but fewer address patient values in end-of-life care.
• Serious illness communication training appears to enhance discussions on patient values and priorities.
• Further research may optimize communication strategies for critically ill patients.