Intensive care is an integral but expensive component of healthcare in developed countries.
1 An estimate in the United States is that fully 2% of the population receives intensive care …

Objective: Although successful models for palliative care delivery and quality improvement
in the intensive care unit have been described, their applicability in surgical intensive care …

This work examines the impact of discharge decisions under uncertainty in a capacity-
constrained high-risk setting: the intensive care unit (ICU). New arrivals to an ICU are …

Background: Integration of palliative care for intensive care unit (ICU) patients is important
but often challenging, especially in surgical ICUs (SICUs), in part because many surgeons …

Objective: Significant deficiencies exist in the communication of prognosis for patients
requiring prolonged mechanical ventilation after acute illness, in part because of clinician …

The incidence and costs of critical illness are increasing in the United States at a time when
there is a focus both on limiting the rising costs of healthcare and improving the quality of …

Background Problems persist with surrogate decision making in intensive care units, leading
to distress for surrogates and treatment that may not reflect patients' values. Objectives To …

Background By measuring the quality of the organisation of palliative care with process and
structure quality indicators (QIs), patients, caregivers and policy makers are able to monitor …

BACKGROUND: Determining the optimal timing and progression of mobility exercise has
the potential to affect functional recovery of critically ill adults. This study compared standard …

Background To support the process of effective family decision making, it is important to
recognize and understand informal roles that various family members may play in the end-of …