Dataset Information

Decisions to withhold diagnostic investigations in nursing home patients with a clinical suspicion of venous thromboembolism.

ABSTRACT:

Background

This study aimed to gather insights in physicians' considerations for decisions to either refer for- or to withhold additional diagnostic investigations in nursing home patients with a suspicion of venous thromboembolism.

Methods

Our study was nested in an observational study on diagnostic strategies for suspected venous thromboembolism in nursing home patients. Patient characteristics, bleeding-complications and mortality were related to the decision to withhold investigations. For a better understanding of the physicians' decisions, 21 individual face-to-face in-depth interviews were performed and analysed using the grounded theory approach.

Results

Referal for additional diagnostic investigations was forgone in 126/322 (39.1%) patients with an indication for diagnostic work-up. 'Blind' anticoagulant treatment was initiated in 95 (75.4%) of these patients. The 3 month mortality rates were higher for patients in whom investigations were withheld than in the referred patients, irrespective of anticoagulant treatment (odds ratio 2.45; 95% confidence interval 1.40 to 4.29) but when adjusted for the probability of being referred (i.e. the propensity score), there was no relation of non-diagnosis decisions to mortality (odds ratio 1.75; 0.98 to 3.11). In their decisions to forgo diagnostic investigations, physicians incorporated the estimated relative impact of the potential disease; the potential net-benefits of diagnostic investigations and whether performing investigations agreed with established management goals in advance care planning.

Conclusion

Referral for additional diagnostic investigations is withheld in almost 40% of Dutch nursing home patients with suspected venous thromboembolism and an indication for diagnostic work-up. We propose that, given the complexity of these decisions and the uncertainty regarding their indirect effects on patient outcome, more attention should be focused on the decision to either use or withhold additional diagnostic tests.

SUBMITTER: Schouten HJ

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3948630 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Decisions to withhold diagnostic investigations in nursing home patients with a clinical suspicion of venous thromboembolism.

Schouten Henrike J HJ Koek Huiberdina L HL Kruisman-Ebbers Marije M Geersing Geert-Jan GJ Oudega Ruud R Kars Marijke C MC Moons Karel G M KG van Delden Johannes J M JJ

PloS one 20140310 3

<h4>Background</h4>This study aimed to gather insights in physicians' considerations for decisions to either refer for- or to withhold additional diagnostic investigations in nursing home patients with a suspicion of venous thromboembolism.<h4>Methods</h4>Our study was nested in an observational study on diagnostic strategies for suspected venous thromboembolism in nursing home patients. Patient characteristics, bleeding-complications and mortality were related to the decision to withhold invest ...[more]

PMID: 24614754

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Project description:Recurrent venous thromboembolism (VTE) occurs infrequently following a provoked event but occurs in up to 30% of individuals following an initial unprovoked event. We studied 134 patients with VTE separated into 3 groups: (1) âlow-riskâ patients had â¥1 provoked VTE; (2) âmoderate-riskâ patients had no more than 1 unprovoked VTE; (3) âhigh-riskâ patients had â¥2 unprovoked VTE. 44 individuals with no history of VTE were enrolled as healthy controls. Consented individuals were enrolled at 4 medical centers in the US. Total RNA from whole blood was isolated and hybridized to Illumina HT-12 V4 Beadchips to assay whole genome expression. Using class prediction analysis, we distinguished high-risk patients from healthy controls with good receiver operating curve characteristics (AUC=0.88). We also distinguished high-risk from low-risk individuals, moderate-risk individuals from healthy controls, and low-risk individuals from healthy controls with AUCâs of 0.72, 0.77 and 0.72, respectively. Using differential expression analysis, we identified genes relevant to coagulation, immune response and vascular biology, such as SELP and CD46, which were differentially expressed in at least two comparisons. Neither approach distinguished the moderate-risk patients from the high-risk or low-risk groups. Gene expression profiles may provide insights into biological mechanisms associated with patients at risk for recurrent VTE. Prospective studies are needed to validate these findings. This study includes a total of 218 samples/individuals (in 5 groups; APS, high-risk VTE, moderate-risk VTE, low-risk VTE and healthy-controls). Samples in which the percent of probes present was 15% or less (n=51) were excluded leaving 167 samples. The data for these 167 samples were normalized together. However, this record represents the 132 individual samples in the following groups; high-risk (n=40); moderate-risk (n=33); low-risk (n=34); and healthy controls (n=25). The 35 samples in APS group are represented in GSE48001.

Project description:BACKGROUND:Many of the elderly in nursing homes are very ill and have a reduced quality of life. Life expectancy is often hard to predict. Decisions about life-prolonging treatment should be based on a professional assessment of the patient's best interest, assessment of capacity to consent, and on the patient's own wishes. The purpose of this study was to investigate and compare how these types of decisions were made in nursing homes and in hospital wards. METHODS:Using a questionnaire, we studied the decision-making process for 299 nursing home patients who were treated for dehydration using intravenous fluids, or for bacterial infections using intravenous antibiotics. We compared the 215 (72%) patients treated in nursing homes to the 84 (28%) nursing home patients treated in the hospital. RESULTS:The patients' capacity to consent was considered prior to treatment in 197 (92%) of the patients treated in nursing homes and 56 (67%) of the patients treated in hospitals (p?<?0.001). The answers indicate that capacity to consent can be difficult to assess. Patients that were considered capable to consent, were more often involved in the decision-making in nursing homes than in hospital (90% vs. 52%). Next of kin and other health personnel were also more rarely involved when the nursing home patient was treated in hospital. Whether advance care planning had been carried out, was more often unknown in the hospital (69% vs. 17% in nursing homes). Hospital doctors expressed more doubt about the decision to admit the patient to the hospital than about the treatment itself. CONCLUSIONS:This study indicates a potential for improvement in decision-making processes in general, and in particular when nursing home patients are treated in a hospital ward. The findings corroborate that nursing home patients should be treated locally if adequate health care and treatment is available. The communication between the different levels of health care when hospitalization is necessary, must be better. TRIAL REGISTRATION:ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01023763 (12/1/09) [The registration was delayed one month after study onset due to practical reasons].

Dataset Information

Decisions to withhold diagnostic investigations in nursing home patients with a clinical suspicion of venous thromboembolism.

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Publications

Decisions to withhold diagnostic investigations in nursing home patients with a clinical suspicion of venous thromboembolism.

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