One-year trajectories of care and resource utilization for recipients of prolonged mechanical ventilation: a cohort study.

Background: Growing numbers of critically ill patients receive prolonged mechanical ventilation. Little is known about the patterns of care as patients transition from acute care hospitals to postacute care facilities or about the associated resource utilization.

Objective: To describe 1-year trajectories of care and resource utilization for patients receiving prolonged mechanical ventilation.

Expectations and outcomes of prolonged mechanical ventilation.

Objective: To compare prolonged mechanical ventilation decision-makers' expectations for long-term patient outcomes with prospectively observed outcomes and to characterize important elements of the surrogate-physician interaction surrounding prolonged mechanical ventilation provision. Prolonged mechanical ventilation provision is increasing markedly despite poor patient outcomes. Misunderstanding prognosis in the prolonged mechanical ventilation decision-making process could provide an explanation for this phenomenon.