Exploring expanded interdisciplinary roles in goals of care conversations in a national goals of care initiative: A qualitative approach
Publication Date
9-1-2021
Document Type
Article
Publication Title
Palliative Medicine
Volume
35
Issue
8
DOI
10.1177/02692163211020473
First Page
1542
Last Page
1552
Abstract
Background: The United States Veterans Health Administration National Center for Ethics in Health Care implemented the Life-Sustaining Treatment Decisions Initiative throughout the Veterans Health Administration health care system in 2017. This policy encourages goals of care conversations, referring to conversations about patient’s treatment and end-of-life wishes for life-sustaining treatments, among Veterans with serious illnesses. A key component of the initiative is expanding interdisciplinary provider roles in having goals of care conversations. Aim: Use organizational role theory to explore medical center experiences with expanding interdisciplinary roles in the implementation of a goals of care initiative. Design: A qualitative thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews. Setting/participants: Initial participants were recruited using purposive sampling of local medical center champions. Snowball sampling identified additional participants. Participants included thirty-one interdisciplinary providers from 12 geographically diverse initiative pilot and spread medical centers. Results: Five themes were identified. Expanding provider roles in goals of care conversations (1) involves organizational culture change; (2) is influenced by medical center leadership; (3) is supported by provider role readiness; (4) benefits from cross-disciplinary role agreement; and (5) can “overwhelm” providers. Conclusions: Organizational role theory is a helpful framework for exploring interdisciplinary roles in a goals of care initiative. Support and recognition of provider role expansion in goals of care conversations was important for the adoption of a goals of care initiative. Actionable strategies, including multi-level leadership support and the use of interdisciplinary champions, facilitate role change and have potential to strengthen uptake of a goals of care initiative.
Funding Number
CIN 13-410
Funding Sponsor
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Keywords
implementation science, patient care planning (goals of care), qualitative research, Role, veterans
Department
Communication Studies
Recommended Citation
Jessica E. Ma, Marie Haverfield, Karl A. Lorenz, David B. Bekelman, Cati Brown-Johnson, Natalie Lo, Mary Beth Foglia, Jill S. Lowery, Anne M. Walling, and Karleen F. Giannitrapani. "Exploring expanded interdisciplinary roles in goals of care conversations in a national goals of care initiative: A qualitative approach" Palliative Medicine (2021): 1542-1552. https://doi.org/10.1177/02692163211020473
