The Problem
As a part of a larger multi-year clinical trial, the team developed a mobile application (ICUconnect) to address the barriers patients, families, and providers experience in addressing and identifying unmet palliative care needs among diverse patients and family members. There is medical literature spanning decades that documents poor quality palliative care delivery as well as poor communication between ICU clinicians and families/patients. These deficits are worse when non-White families/patients are involved. The team is interested in addressing these issues, with particular attention to ICU-based health disparities in palliative care quality.
Our Solution
Our solution was to develop an app that actually allows assessment of the gold standard for palliative care: unmet needs. The ICUconnect app allows families to self-report unmet palliative care needs across all 8 domains of palliative care quality over time. These data are then shown in a simple web-based visualization for ICU clinicians, along with tips on how to address each.
Impact
We built a web app, performed successful usability testing, and have now implemented it in an ongoing clinical trial that has an expected enrollment period of 3 years. Enrollment is currently ongoing. An intervention disclosure form was filed with the Duke Office of Licensing & Ventures (OLV). Also, we have been awarded another NIH R01 grant for work that extends this concept by integration with the electronic health record. This work has been presented at multiple Duke conferences, including grand rounds.
Next Steps
First, we need to complete the clinical trial! However, we are considering an NIH STTR application to explore the commercialization of the product.
