Funded by NIH - National Institute Of Nursing Research
The project aims are 1) To develop a tailored web-based decision support intervention to prepare stroke surrogates to make decisions on use of life sustaining treatments; and 2) To pilot test the tailored decision support intervention in surrogate decision makers of hospitalized stroke patients. Key features of the tool will include an advanced statistical prognostic calculator that presents customized outcome data in a tailored and accessible fashion; an exercise to assist the surrogate in clarifying values most important to the patient, and questions to ask the health care team to empower surrogates to communicate more effectively. Information obtained in this R21 is critically important to the development of a novel tool that can be tested in a future definitive R01 study in order to better match treatment plans to patient wishes, reduce adverse outcomes among surrogates, and limit unwanted variability in end-of life treatment.
PI: Darin Zahuranec, MD