Physician's communication in code status discussions for terminally ill cancer patients in inpatient hospice/palliative care units in Japan: a nationwide post-bereavement survey

Abstract Context Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is one of the most important end-of-life care decisions. However, the experience of bereaved families during code status discussions is not well documented. Objective The aims of this study were to describe the degree of emotional distress of bereaved families when discussing code status, identify their perceived areas for improvement and determine associated factors. Methods This study is part of a nationwide post-bereavement survey, the Japan HOspice and Palliative care Evaluation 3 (J-HOPE3) study. Questionnaires were sent to the relatives of cancer patients who had died in palliative care units in Japan in 2014. Results From an analysis of 338 questionnaires, 37% of families reported high emotional distress during code status discussions and 32% reported a need for improvement. Multiple logistic regression analyses revealed the following were associated with high-level distress: the family had hoped for the miraculous and spontaneous recovery of the patient (odds ratio [OR] 2.4, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.31-4.43, p=0.0049), the family felt they could not voice their opinion about CPR (OR 2.07, CI 1.12-3.81, p=0.02), or the physician failed to adapt the explanation to the family's preparation level (OR 0.36, CI 0.18-0.68, p=0.0015). Factors identified for improvement were: holding discussions in a relaxing atmosphere conducive to questioning (OR 0.36, CI 0.16-0.80, p=0.012), and ensuring the physician adapted the explanation to the family's preparation level (OR 0.47, CI 0.23-0.96, p=0.037). Conclusion We recommend the development of educational programs for code status discussions to improve the experience of bereaved family members.