Mass Production of Compassionate Communication in the Era of COVID-19: A How-To Guide from Parkland Hospital's COVID ICU Team (TH105)

Abstract

Outcomes 1. Describe and analyze a blueprint for rapid upscaling of inpatient palliative care services in the ICU, both in the context of normal operations and in the context of mass casualties, natural disasters, pandemics, and other events 2. Describe the natural history, prognosis, morbidity, and mortality associated with acute respiratory distress syndrome due to COVID-19 3. Review and simulate use of novel communication tools and scripts for communication with families of critically ill patientsIn March 2020, Parkland Memorial Hospital, Dallas County's safety net hospital and one of the busiest hospitals in the nation, opened its Tactical Care Unit, a surgical space converted into a 100-bed unit for patients suffering from the novel and rapidly spreading COVID-19. At the outset of the pandemic, the team committed to expanding access to specialty-level palliative care and maintaining a pipeline of high-quality daily communication for all families of critically ill patients admitted to the COVID ICU. In this session, members of the multispecialty and multidisciplinary Parkland COVID ICU team will present a blueprint for the novel care model that allowed them to meet these goals, even in the midst of massive surges in the summer and winter. The following components of this care model will be reviewed in detail: a clearly defined structure for efficient co-management and co-rounding between palliative care and critical care specialists; the use of volunteer communication extenders; detailed data analysis regarding natural history, prognosis, morbidity, and mortality associated with acute respiratory distress syndrome due to COVID-19; and the generation of standardized, data-driven communication tools and scripts for daily conversations with families of critically ill patients. Attendees will receive copies of said communication tools and scripts, and we will conduct case-based simulations in small groups. Afterwards, we will review lessons learned and outcomes, answer questions, and review the ways in which the strategies and tools described above are being applied in our hospital outside the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.