Palliative care communication with stroke patients: a best practice implementation project.

Introduction: Stroke patients frequently experience debilitating deficits, and some receive a terminal diagnosis. Palliative care services are introduced to prioritize care, with the goal of improving quality of life. However, palliative care communication (PCC) is often delayed or used inefficiently with stroke patients.

Objectives: This project aimed to promote PCC evidence-based practices (EBPs) with stroke patients.

Methods: This project used the JBI Evidence Implementation Framework to improve compliance with PCC EBPs with stroke patients in a medical center in Mississippi, USA. Four EBPs were identified from a JBI evidence summary and used as audit criteria. A baseline audit was conducted to measure compliance of current practice with best practice. Barriers to EBPs were identified, improvement strategies were implemented, and a follow-up audit was conducted to determine compliance changes.

Results: The baseline audit revealed 53% to 80% compliance with the four EBPs. Barriers to EBPs included lack of health care professionals' knowledge regarding EBPs; lack of PCC, miscommunication, or delayed PCC with patients regarding hospitalization timeline and quality of life; and no standardized documentation or location for PCC within the electronic health record. Improvement strategies included a PCC education program for health care professionals and a concise statement and validation checkbox to the "progress note" in the electronic health record to promote daily PCC with patients. The follow-up audit revealed 20% to 34% compliance rate improvement with EBPs.

Conclusions: Annual PCC training should be conducted for health care professionals. Implementing PCC through a multidisciplinary approach can promote more meaningful discussion and efficient decision-making, prioritizing patients' quality of life.

Spanish Abstract: http://links.lww.com/IJEBH/A174.