Instituting a Palliative Care Trigger in a Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU): Survey Results of SICU Team Members.

Increasing palliative care presence in the intensive care unit (ICU) improves symptom management, increases goals-of-care discussion, and reduces unnecessary procedures in ICU patients. An interdisciplinary study team developed a palliative care trigger program in a 17-bed surgical ICU (SICU). Surgical ICU patients who met 3 triggers (ICU length of stay > 10 days, repeat ICU admission, and metastatic cancer) automatically received a palliative care consult.

Assessing the Feasibility and Implementation of Palliative Care Triggers in a Surgical Intensive Care Unit to Improve Interdisciplinary Collaboration for Patient and Family Care.

Although palliative care focuses on supporting patients and families through serious illness, it is underutilized in the surgical intensive care unit (SICU). In 2020, patients in the SICU represented only 2.75% of our palliative team's consults.