Surgeons' attitudes and practices in the utilization of palliative and supportive care services for patients with a sudden advanced illness.

Background: There is growing interest in the interface between palliative care and other medical specialties, yet little is known about decision-making processes characterizing such collaborations. At the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), the trauma-burn surgery and neurosurgery services frequently request consults from the palliative care team for patients with a sudden advanced illness from catastrophic injuries or physiologic insult.

Objective: We explored surgeons' attitudes and decision-making practices regarding utilization of palliative and supportive care for patients with a sudden advanced illness from traumatic injury or physiologic insult at UAB Hospital, an American College of Surgeons certified level 1 trauma center.