Enhancing Palliative Care in ICU

Patients:

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients in ICU who can give consent and those who can not (via their authorizedrepresentative or legal guardian, also possible with delayed consent)

• From 18 years

• The leading cause of critical illness is not cancer

• New admission on the participating ICU > 72h

• Assessment of the need for palliative care by the in-charge physi-cian of the ICU,because (1) there is a significant disagreement about ICU treatment or (2) becausethe physician considers ther-apy limitations for the patient or (3) the physicianconsiders a benefit from specialized PC consultation for ICU physician, nurse, orpatient or family.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patient is moribund and is expected to die within the next 24h

Study cohort relatives:

Inclusion criteria:

• At least one relative(s) of a patient. This may or may not be the legal representative, depending on national legislation.

Exclusion criteria:

• Refusal by the relative

• Refusal of the patient to participate in the intervention study

• <18 years of age

Cohort of employees:

Inclusion criteria

• Employed on the ITS as a doctor/nurse

• Employed in the clinical center as a member of the palliative care consultationservice

Exclusion criterion Refusal to participate