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Discrepancy in responses to the surprise question between hemodialysis nurses and physicians, with focus on patient clinical characteristics : A comparative study

Wallin, Jeanette M ; Jacobson, Stefan H ; Axelsson, Lena ; Lindberg, Jenny LU ; Persson, Carina I ; Stenberg, Jenny and Wennman-Larsen, Agneta (2023) In Hemodialysis International 27(4). p.454-464
Abstract

INTRODUCTION: The surprise question (SQ) "Would I be surprised if this patient died within the next xx months" can be used by different professions to foresee the need of serious illness conversations in patients approaching end of life. However, little is known about the different perspectives of nurses and physicians in responses to the SQ and factors influencing their appraisals. The aim was to explore nurses' and physicians' responses to the SQ regarding patients on hemodialysis, and to investigate how these answers were associated with patient clinical characteristics.

METHODS: This comparative cross-sectional study included 361 patients for whom 112 nurses and 15 physicians responded to the SQ regarding 6 and 12 months.... (More)

INTRODUCTION: The surprise question (SQ) "Would I be surprised if this patient died within the next xx months" can be used by different professions to foresee the need of serious illness conversations in patients approaching end of life. However, little is known about the different perspectives of nurses and physicians in responses to the SQ and factors influencing their appraisals. The aim was to explore nurses' and physicians' responses to the SQ regarding patients on hemodialysis, and to investigate how these answers were associated with patient clinical characteristics.

METHODS: This comparative cross-sectional study included 361 patients for whom 112 nurses and 15 physicians responded to the SQ regarding 6 and 12 months. Patient characteristics, performance status, and comorbidities were obtained. Cohen's kappa was used to analyze the interrater agreement between nurses and physicians in their responses to the SQ and multivariable logistic regression was applied to reveal the independent association to patient clinical characteristics.

FINDINGS: Proportions of nurses and physicians responding to the SQ with "no, not surprised" was similar regarding 6 and 12 months. However, there was a substantial difference concerning which specific patient the nurses and physicians responded "no, not surprised", within 6 (κ = 0.366, p < 0.001, 95% CI = 0.288-0.474) and 12 months (κ = 0.379, p < 0.001, 95% CI = 0.281-0.477). There were also differences in the patient clinical characteristics associated with nurses' and physicians' responses to the SQ.

DISCUSSION: Nurses and physicians have different perspectives in their appraisal when responding to the SQ for patients on hemodialysis. This may reinforce the need for communication and discussion between nurses and physicians to identify the need of serious illness conversations in patients approaching the end of life, in order to adapt hemodialysis care to patient preferences and needs.

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author
; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Hemodialysis International
volume
27
issue
4
pages
454 - 464
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • scopus:85161851942
  • pmid:37318069
ISSN
1542-4758
DOI
10.1111/hdi.13103
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
© 2023 The Authors. Hemodialysis International published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Society for Hemodialysis.
id
ca69c0f8-e692-4625-aa10-9cb28de55e41
date added to LUP
2023-06-16 08:46:04
date last changed
2024-04-19 22:52:56
@article{ca69c0f8-e692-4625-aa10-9cb28de55e41,
  abstract     = {{<p>INTRODUCTION: The surprise question (SQ) "Would I be surprised if this patient died within the next xx months" can be used by different professions to foresee the need of serious illness conversations in patients approaching end of life. However, little is known about the different perspectives of nurses and physicians in responses to the SQ and factors influencing their appraisals. The aim was to explore nurses' and physicians' responses to the SQ regarding patients on hemodialysis, and to investigate how these answers were associated with patient clinical characteristics.</p><p>METHODS: This comparative cross-sectional study included 361 patients for whom 112 nurses and 15 physicians responded to the SQ regarding 6 and 12 months. Patient characteristics, performance status, and comorbidities were obtained. Cohen's kappa was used to analyze the interrater agreement between nurses and physicians in their responses to the SQ and multivariable logistic regression was applied to reveal the independent association to patient clinical characteristics.</p><p>FINDINGS: Proportions of nurses and physicians responding to the SQ with "no, not surprised" was similar regarding 6 and 12 months. However, there was a substantial difference concerning which specific patient the nurses and physicians responded "no, not surprised", within 6 (κ = 0.366, p &lt; 0.001, 95% CI = 0.288-0.474) and 12 months (κ = 0.379, p &lt; 0.001, 95% CI = 0.281-0.477). There were also differences in the patient clinical characteristics associated with nurses' and physicians' responses to the SQ.</p><p>DISCUSSION: Nurses and physicians have different perspectives in their appraisal when responding to the SQ for patients on hemodialysis. This may reinforce the need for communication and discussion between nurses and physicians to identify the need of serious illness conversations in patients approaching the end of life, in order to adapt hemodialysis care to patient preferences and needs.</p>}},
  author       = {{Wallin, Jeanette M and Jacobson, Stefan H and Axelsson, Lena and Lindberg, Jenny and Persson, Carina I and Stenberg, Jenny and Wennman-Larsen, Agneta}},
  issn         = {{1542-4758}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{06}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{454--464}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Hemodialysis International}},
  title        = {{Discrepancy in responses to the surprise question between hemodialysis nurses and physicians, with focus on patient clinical characteristics : A comparative study}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/hdi.13103}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/hdi.13103}},
  volume       = {{27}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}