Advance care planning in patients undergoing surgery to resect pancreatic adenocarcinoma: Underlying tension between balancing hope and realism.

BACKGROUND: The timing and the dose of Advanced Care Planning in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma undergoing curative-intent resection are generally dictated by the surgeon performing the operation. METHODS: A qualitative investigation using 1:1 interviews with 40 open-ended questions was conducted with a convenience sample of 10 high-volume pancreatic surgeons from across the country. The grounded theory approach was used for data analysis. RESULTS: A total of 10 interviews were conducted with expert pancreatic surgeons-6 males and 4 females. During preoperative counseling, all surgeons attempt to motivate patients by emphasizing hope, optimism, and the fact that surgery offers the only opportunity for cure. All surgeons discuss the possibility of recurrence as well as postoperative complications; however, a majority perceived that patients do not fully appreciate the likelihood of recurrence or postoperative complications. All surgeons acknowledged the importance of end-of-life conversations when death is imminent. Seventy percent of surgeons had mixed opinions regarding benefits of preoperative Advanced Care Planning in the preoperative setting, while 20% felt it was definitely beneficial, particularly that delivery of care aligned with patient goals. All surgeons emphasized that Advanced Care Planning should be led by a physician who both knows the patient well and understands the nuances of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma management. Most common barriers to in-depth Advanced Care Planning discussion reported by surgeons include taking away hope, lack of time, and concern for sending "mixed messages." CONCLUSION: We identified that surgeons experience a fundamental tension between promoting realistic long-term goals and expectations versus focusing on hope and enabling an overly optimistic perception of prognosis.

Effect of the STAMP (Sharing and Talking About My Preferences) Intervention on Completing Multiple Advance Care Planning Activities in Ambulatory Care : A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Interventions with the potential for broad reach in ambulatory settings are necessary to achieve a life course approach to advance care planning. OBJECTIVE: To examine the effect of a computer-tailored, behavioral health model-based intervention on the engagement of adults in advance care planning recruited from ambulatory care settings. DESIGN: Cluster randomized controlled trial with participant-level analysis. (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03137459). SETTING: 10 pairs of primary and selected specialty care practices matched on patient sociodemographic information. PARTICIPANTS: English-speaking adults aged 55 years or older; 454 adults at practices randomly assigned to usual care and 455 at practices randomly assigned to intervention. INTERVENTION: Brief telephone or web-based assessment generating a mailed, individually tailored feedback report with a stage-matched brochure at baseline, 2 months, and 4 months. MEASUREMENTS: The primary outcome was completion of the following 4 advance care planning activities at 6 months: identifying and communicating with a trusted person about views on quality versus quantity of life, assignment of a health care agent, completion of a living will, and ensuring that the documents are in the medical record-assessed by a blinded interviewer. Secondary outcomes were completion of individual advance care planning activities. RESULTS: Participants were 64% women and 76% White. The mean age was 68.3 years (SD, 8.3). The predicted probability of completing all advance care planning activities in usual care sites was 8.2% (95% CI, 4.9% to 11.4%) versus 14.1% (CI, 11.0% to 17.2%) in intervention sites (adjusted risk difference, 5.2 percentage points [CI, 1.6 to 8.8 percentage points]). Prespecified subgroup analysis found no statistically significant interactions between the intervention and age, education, or race. LIMITATIONS: The study was done in a single region and excluded non-English speaking participants. No information was collected about nonparticipants. CONCLUSION: A brief, easily delivered, tailored print intervention increased participation in advance care planning in ambulatory care settings. PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE: National Institute of Nursing Research and National Institute of Aging.

Role of a rapid response system and code status discussion as determinants of prognosis for critical inpatients: An observational study in a Japanese urban hospital.

ABSTRACT: Rapid response systems (RRS) have been introduced worldwide to reduce unpredicted in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) and in-hospital mortality. The role of advance care planning (ACP) in the management of critical patients has not yet been fully determined in Japan.We retrospectively assessed the characteristics of all inpatients with unpredicted IHCA in our hospital between 2016 and 2018. Yearly changes in the number of RRS activations and the incidence of unpredicted IHCA with or without code status discussion were evaluated from 2014 to 2018. Hospital standardized mortality ratios were assessed from the data reported in the annual reports by the National Hospital Organization.A total of 81 patients (age: 70.9 ±â€Š13.3 years) suffered an unpredicted IHCA and had multiple background diseases, including heart disease (75.3%), chronic kidney disease (25.9%), and postoperative status (cardiovascular surgery, 18.5%). Most of the patients manifested non-shockable rhythms (69.1%); survival to hospital discharge rate was markedly lower than that with shockable rhythms (26.8% vs 72.0%, P < .001). The hospital standardized mortality ratios was maintained nearly constant at approximately 50.0% for 3 consecutive years. The number of cases of RRS activation markedly increased from 75 in 2014 to 274 patients in 2018; conversely, the number of unpredicted IHCA cases was reduced from 40 in 2014 to 18 in 2018 (P < .001). Considering the data obtained in 2014 and 2015 as references, the RRS led to a reduction in the relative risk of unpredicted IHCA from 2016 to 2018 (ie, 0.618, 95% confidence interval 0.453-0.843). The reduction in unpredicted IHCA was attributed partly to the increased number of patients who had discussed the code status, and a significant correlation was observed between these parameters (R2 = 0.992, P < .001). The reduction in the number of patients with end-stage disease, including congestive heart failure and chronic renal failure, paralleled the incidence of unpredicted IHCA.Both RRS and ACP reduced the incidence of unpredicted IHCA; RRS prevents progression to unpredicted IHCA, whereas ACP decreases the number of patients with no code status discussion and thus potentially reducing the patient subgroup progressing to an unpredicted IHCA.

Perceptions of Bereaved Caregivers and Clinicians About End-of-Life Care for Patients With Destination Therapy Left Ventricular Assist Devices.

Background Patients with left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) implanted as destination therapy may receive suboptimal preparation for and care at the end of life, but there is limited understanding of the reasons for these shortcomings. Exploring perceptions of individuals (caregivers and clinicians) who are closely involved in the end-of-life experience with patients with destination therapy LVADs can help identify key opportunities for improving care. Methods and Results We conducted semistructured qualitative interviews with 7 bereaved caregivers of patients with destination therapy LVADs and 10 interdisciplinary LVAD clinicians. Interviews explored perceptions of preparing for end of life, communicating about end of life, and providing and receiving end-of-life care, and were analyzed using a 2-step team-based inductive approach to coding and analysis. Six themes pertaining to end-of-life experiences were derived: (1) timing end-of-life discussions in the setting of unpredictable illness trajectories, (2) prioritizing end-of-life preparation and decision-making, (3) communicating uncertainty while providing support and hope, (4) lack of consensus on responsibility for end-of-life discussions, (5) perception of the LVAD team as invincible, and (6) divergent perceptions of LVAD withdrawal. Conclusions This study revealed 6 unique aspects of end-of-life care for patients with destination therapy LVADs as reported by clinicians and caregivers. Themes coalesced around communication, team-based care, and challenges unique to patients with LVADs at end of life. Programmatic changes may address some aspects, including training clinicians in LVAD-specific communication skills. Other aspects, such as standardizing the role of the palliative care team and developing practical interventions that enable timely advance care planning during LVAD care, will require multifaceted interventions.

Feasibility of an Advance Care Planning Program (ACP) for Korean Community-Dwelling Older Adults and ACP Training of Advance Practice Nurses.

This study aimed to develop a locally suitable advance care planning (ACP) program for older community-dwelling adults and a training program for nurse facilitators in Korea, and to evaluate their feasibility from the facilitators' experiences. This was a mixed methods pilot study that assessed the feasibility of an ACP program by analyzing survey, checklist, and focus group interview data. The ACP program was named CLOSE (Communicating and Listening to Our Seniors' voices about End-of-life care). Home health care nurses (N = 9) participated in this study. The participants reported that CLOSE was applicable to older community-dwelling adults and the training program was useful for increasing facilitator competency. We suggest some lessons from this pilot study that can be used to improve the ACP program and encourage community health nurses to participate in ACP as facilitators.

ADVANCE: Methodology of a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Quantitative studies have documented persistent regional, facility, and racial differences in the intensity of care provided to nursing home (NH) residents with advanced dementia including, greater intensity in the Southeastern United States, among black residents, and wide variation among NHs in the same hospital referral region (HRR). The reasons for these differences are poorly understood, and the appropriate way to study them is poorly described. DESIGN: Assessment of Disparities and Variation for Alzheimer's disease Nursing home Care at End of life (ADVANCE) is a large qualitative study to elucidate factors related to NH organizational culture and proxy perspectives contributing to differences in the intensity of advanced dementia care. Using nationwide 2016-2017 Minimum DataSet information, four HRRs were identified in which the relative intensity of advanced dementia care was high (N = 2 HRRs) and low (N = 2 HRRs) based on hospital transfer and tube-feeding rates among residents with this condition. Within those HRRs, we identified facilities providing high (N = 2 NHs) and low (N = 2 NHs) intensity care relative to all NHs in that HRR (N = 16 total facilities; 4 facilities/HRR). RESULTS/CONCLUSIONS: To date, the research team conducted 275 h of observation in 13 NHs and interviewed 158 NH providers from varied disciplines to assess physical environment, care processes, decision-making processes, and values. We interviewed 44 proxies (black, N = 19; white, N = 25) about their perceptions of advance care planning, decision-making, values, communication, support, trust, literacy, beliefs about death, and spirituality. This report describes ADVANCE study design and the facilitators and challenges of its implementation, providing a template for the successful application of large qualitative studies focused on quality care in NHs.

The COVID-19 pandemic: challenges in providing supportive care to those with cardiovascular disease in a time of plague.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: COVID-19 has permeated the very essence of human existence and society and disrupted healthcare systems. The attrition stemming from this highly contagious disease particularly affects those rendered vulnerable by age and infirmity, including those with underlying cardiovascular disease. This article critically reviews how best to integrate supportive care into the management of those affected. RECENT FINDINGS: Numerous studies have described the pathophysiology of COVID-19, including that specifically arising in those with cardiovascular disease. Potential treatment strategies have emerged but there is limited guidance on the provision of palliative care. A framework for implementation of this service needs to be developed, perhaps involving the training of non-specialists to deliver primary palliative care in the community, bolstered by the use of telemedicine. The appropriate use of limited clinical resources has engendered many challenging discussions and complex ethical decisions. Prospective implementation of future policies requires the incorporation of measures to assuage moral distress, burnout and compassion fatigue in healthcare staff who are psychologically and physically exhausted. SUMMARY: Further research based on patient-centred decision making and advance care planning is required to ensure the supportive needs of COVID-19 patients with cardiovascular disease are adequately met. This research should focus on interventions applicable to daily healthcare practice and include strategies to safeguard staff well-being.

Advance care planning for patients with COVID-19: a communication guide.

In view of the high morbidity and mortality associated with COVID-19, early and honest conversations with patients about goals of care are vital. Advance care planning in its traditional manner may be difficult to achieve given the unpredictability of the disease trajectory. Despite this, it is crucial that patients' care wishes are explored as this will help prevent inappropriate admissions to hospital and to critical care, improve symptom control and advocate for patient choice. This article provides practical tips on how to translate decisions around treatment escalation plans into conversations, both face-to-face and over the phone, in a sensitive and compassionate manner. Care planning conversations for patients with COVID-19 should be individualised and actively involve the patient. Focusing on goals of care rather than ceilings of treatment can help to alleviate anxiety around these conversations and will remind patients that their care will never cease. Using a framework such as the 'SPIKES' mnemonic can help to structure this conversation. Verbally conveying empathy will be key, particularly when wearing personal protective equipment or speaking to relatives over the phone. It is also important to make time to recognise your own emotions during and/or after these conversations.

Concordance of End-of-Life Care With End-of-Life Wishes in an Integrated Health Care System.

Importance: There is widespread consensus on the challenges to meeting the end-of-life wishes of decedents in the US. However, there is broad but not always recognized success in meeting wishes among decedents 65 years and older. Objective: To assess how well end-of-life wishes of decedents 65 years and older are met in the last year of life. Design, Setting, and Participants: This quality improvement study involved 3 planned samples of family members or informants identified as the primary contact in the medical record of Kaiser Permanente Southern California decedents. The first sample was 715 decedents, 65 years or older, who died between April 1 and May 31, 2017. The second was a high-cost sample of 332 decedents, 65 years or older, who died between June 1, 2016, and May 31, 2017, and whose costs in the last year of life were in the top 10% of the costs of all decedents. The third was a lower-cost sample with 655 decedents whose costs were not in the top 10%. The survey was fielded between December 19, 2017, and February 8, 2018. Main Outcomes and Measures: Meeting end-of-life wishes, discussions with next of kin and physicians, types of discordant care, and perceptions of amount of care received. Results: Surveys were completed by 715 of the 2281 next of kin in the all-decedent sample (mean [SD] decedent age, 80.9 [8.9] years; 361 [50.5%] male) for a 31% response rate; in 332 of the 1339 next of kin in the high-cost sample (mean [SD] decedent age, 75.5 [7.1] years; 194 [48.4%] male) for a 25% response rate; and in 659 of 2058 in the lower-cost sample (mean [SD] decedent age, 81.6 [8.8] years) for a 32% response rate. Respondents noted that high percentages of decedents received treatment that was concordant with their desires: 601 (88.9%) had their wishes met, 39 (5.9%) received a treatment they did not want, and 554 (84.1%) filled out an advance directive. A total of 509 respondents (82.5%) believed the amount of care was the right amount. Those with the highest costs had their wishes met at lower rates than those with lower costs (250 [80.1%] vs 553 [89.6%]). Conclusions and Relevance: In this Kaiser Permanente Southern California cohort, a large proportion of decedents 65 years and older had end-of-life discussions and documentation, had their wishes met, and received the amount of care they thought appropriate.

Reasons for discordance and concordance between POLST orders and current treatment preferences.

BACKGROUND: The reasons for discordance between advance care planning (ACP) documentation and current preferences are not well understood. The POLST form offers a unique opportunity to learn about the reasons for discordance and concordance that has relevance for POLST as well as ACP generally. DESIGN: Qualitative descriptive including constant comparative analysis within and across cases. SETTING: Twenty-six nursing facilities in Indiana. PARTICIPANTS: Residents (n = 36) and surrogate decision-makers of residents without decisional capacity (n = 37). MEASUREMENTS: A semi-structured interview guide was used to explore the reasons for discordance or concordance between current preferences and existing POLST forms. FINDINGS: Reasons for discordance include: (1) problematic nursing facility practices related to POLST completion; (2) missing key information about POLST treatment decisions; (3) deferring to others; and (4) changes over time. Some participants were unable to explain the discordance due to a lack of insight or inability to remember details of the original POLST conversation. Explanations for concordance include: (1) no change in the resident's medical condition and/or the resident is unlikely to improve; (2) use of the substituted judgment standard for surrogate decision-making; and (3) fixed opinion about what is "right" with little to no insight. CONCLUSION: Participant explanations for discordance between existing POLST orders and current preferences highlight the importance of adequate structures and processes to support high quality ACP in nursing facilities. Residents with stable or poor health may be more appropriate candidates for POLST than residents with a less clear prognosis, though preferences should be revisited periodically as well as when there is a change in condition to help ensure existing documentation is concordant with current treatment preferences.

Advance Care Planning During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Advance care planning (ACP) is especially important during the COVID-19 pandemic. Previously identified barriers to ACP include lack of time during patient visits, billing, clinician and patient discomfort and lack of resources, and difficulties with documenting and accessing ACP documents. Here we describe new challenges and new opportunities for ACP that have arisen from the COVID-19 pandemic, both due to the complexities of the illness and expedited changes in some of the stagnancies in the health care system. The shared risk for COVID-19 that all people face brings urgency to institutional policy changes to ACP form completion. However, research should assess acceptability and effectiveness of these strategies.

A Review of Web-Based COVID-19 Resources for Palliative Care Clinicians, Patients, and Their Caregivers.

Palliative and end-of-life care has been pushed to the forefront of medical care during the pandemic caused by the coronavirus-2019 (COVID-19). Palliative care organizations have responded to the growing demand for the rapid dissemination of research, clinical guidance, and instructions for care to clinicians, patients with COVID-19, and their caregivers by creating COVID-19 resource Web pages. Here, end users can access resources that can be updated in real time. These Web pages, however, can be variable in what resources they offer and for whom they are designed for (clinicians, patients, caregivers). Therefore, this project was conducted to consolidate these resources via summary tables of specific contents available through each Web page grouped by palliative care domains (eg, care discussion and planning, communication, symptom management, care access) and to identify the target audience. This environmental scan was conducted by compiling a comprehensive list of COVID-19 resource Web pages of palliative care organizations generated by reviewing previously published research studies and consulting with palliative care research experts. Snowballing techniques were used to identify resource Web pages not captured in the initial scan. Two reviewers independently evaluated eligible Web pages for content via a form developed for the study, and Cohen κ statistic was calculated to ensure interrater reliability. The final κ statistic was 0.76. Of the 24 websites screened, 15 websites met our eligibility criteria. Among the eligible resource Web pages, most (n = 12, 80%) had specific target audiences and care settings, whereas the rest presented information targeted to all audiences. Although 11 Web pages offered resources that addressed all 4 domains, only 1 Web page conveyed all 12 subdomains. We recommend the use of this guide to all frontline clinicians who require guidance in clinically managing patients with COVID-19 receiving palliative care and/or end-of-life care.

Characteristics of Advance Care Planning Interventions Across Dementia Stages: A Systematic Review.

PURPOSE: Little is known regarding how advance care planning (ACP) interventions change with the progression of dementia. Thus, the primary purpose of this systematic review is to compare characteristics of ACP interventions across dementia stages. We also identify the role of nurses in implementing ACP interventions for persons with dementia and their surrogates. DESIGN: A systematic review of ACP intervention studies. METHODS: After searching PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, PsycArticles, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literture (CINAHL), and Scopus, the final sample included 11 studies representing 10 interventions. We conducted a quality assessment and extracted data on dementia stage, intervention characteristics, and the role of nurses in the intervention. The extracted data were categorized according to stages of dementia, and analyzed to identify commonalities and differences between intervention characteristics. FINDINGS: Three ACP interventions focused on mild dementia and seven on advanced dementia. We observed four primary findings. First, we found a major difference in intervention recipients between the two dementia stages. Second, most ACP interventions included structured discussions regarding the person's life goals and values, goals of care, and preferences concerning future care via individual, face-to-face interactions. Third, ACP interventions designed to promote ongoing discussions and documentation were lacking. Finally, nurses played important roles in implementing ACP interventions. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest more nurse-led, dementia-related ACP interventions. In addition, ACP interventions should promote ongoing discussions and documentation and target persons with dementia and their surrogates in various countries. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Many persons with dementia and their surrogates have limited knowledge about ACP; thus, more nurse-led ACP programs that reflect dementia stages may help them prepare for the situations in which persons with dementia lack decision-making capacity.

Cognitively Impaired Older Persons' and Caregivers' Perspectives on Dementia-Specific Advance Care Planning.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Advance care planning (ACP) traditionally involves asking individuals about their treatment preferences during a brief period of incapacity near the end of life. Because dementia leads to prolonged incapacity, with many decisions arising before a terminal event, it has been suggested that dementia-specific ACP is necessary. We sought to elicit the perspectives of older adults with early cognitive impairment and their caregivers on traditional and dementia-specific ACP. DESIGN: Qualitative study with separate focus groups for patients and caregivers. SETTING: Memory disorder clinics. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty eight persons aged 65+ with mild cognitive impairment or early dementia and 19 caregivers. MEASUREMENTS: Understanding of dementia trajectory and types of planning done; how medical decisions would be made in the future; thoughts about these decisions. RESULTS: No participants had engaged in any written form of dementia-specific planning. Barriers to dementia-specific ACP emerged, including lack of knowledge about the expected trajectory of dementia and potential medical decisions, the need to stay focused in the present because of fear of loss of self, disinterest in planning because the patient will not be aware of decisions, and the expectation that involved family members would take care of issues. Some patients had trouble engaging in the discussion. Patients had highly variable views on what the quality of their future life would be and on the leeway their surrogates should have in decision making. CONCLUSIONS: Even among patients with early cognitive impairment seen in specialty clinics and their caregivers, most were unaware of the decisions they could face, and there were many barriers to planning for these decisions. These issues would likely be magnified in more representative populations, and highlight challenges to the use of dementia-specific advance directive documents.

Development of a Stakeholder Driven Serious Illness Communication Program for Advance Care Planning in Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults with Serious Illness.

OBJECTIVES: To develop a generalizable advance care planning (ACP) intervention for children, adolescents, and young adults with serious illness using a multistage, stakeholder-driven approach. STUDY DESIGN: We first convened an expert panel of multidisciplinary health care providers (HCPs), researchers, and parents to delineate key ACP intervention elements. We then adapted an existing adult guide for use in pediatrics and conducted focus groups and interviews with HCPs, parents, and seriously ill adolescents and young adults to contextualize perspectives on ACP communication and our Pediatric Serious Illness Communication Program (PediSICP). Using thematic analysis, we identified guide adaptations, preferred content, and barriers for Pedi-SICP implementation. Expert panelists then reviewed, amended and finalized intervention components. RESULTS: Stakeholders (34 HCPs, 9 parents, and 7 seriously ill adolescents and young adults) participated in focus groups and interviews. Stakeholders validated and refined the guide and PediSICP intervention and identified barriers to PediSICP implementation, including the need for HCP training, competing demands, uncertainty regarding timing, and documentation of ACP discussions. CONCLUSIONS: The finalized PediSICP intervention includes a structured HCP and family ACP communication occasion supported by a 3-part communication tool and bolstered by focused HCP training. We also identified strategies to ameliorate implementation barriers. Future research will determine the feasibility of the PediSICP and whether it improves care alignment with patient and family goals.

Value of Advance Care Directives for Patients With Serious Illness in the Era of COVID Pandemic: A Review of Challenges and Solutions.

Advance care directives (ACDs) are instructions regarding what types of medical treatments a patient desires and/or who they would like to designate as a healthcare surrogate to make important healthcare decisions when the patient is mentally incapacitated. At end-of-life, when faced with poor prognosis for a meaningful health-related quality of life, most patients indicate their preference to abstain from aggressive, life-sustaining treatments. Patients whose wishes are left unsaid often receive burdensome life sustain therapy by default, prolonging patient suffering. The CoVID pandemic has strained our healthcare resources and raised the need for prioritization of life-sustaining therapy. This highlights the urgency of ACDs more than ever. Despite ACDs' potential to provide patients with care that aligns with their values and preferences and reduce resource competition, there has been relatively little conversation regarding the overlap of ACDs and CoVID-19. There is low uptake among patients, lack of training for healthcare professionals, and inequitable adoption in vulnerable populations. However, solutions are forthcoming and may include electronic medical record completion, patient outreach efforts, healthcare worker programs to increase awareness of at-risk minority patients, and restructuring of incentives and reimbursement policies. This review carefully describes the above challenges and unique opportunities to address them in the CoVID-19 era. If solutions are leveraged appropriately, ACDs have the potential to address the described challenges and ethically resolve resource conflicts during the current crisis and beyond.

Family Meetings in the Intensive Care Unit During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic.

PURPOSE: Visitor restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic limit in-person family meetings for hospitalized patients. We aimed to evaluate the quantity of family meetings by telephone, video and in-person during the COVID-19 pandemic by manual chart review. Secondary outcomes included rate of change in patient goals of care between video and in-person meetings, the timing of family meetings, and variability in meetings by race and ethnicity. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study evaluated patients admitted to the intensive care unit at an urban academic hospital between March and June 2020. Patients lacking decision-making capacity and receiving a referral for a video meeting were included in this study. RESULTS: Most patients meeting inclusion criteria (N = 61/481, 13%) had COVID-19 pneumonia (n = 57/61, 93%). A total of 650 documented family meetings occurred. Few occurred in-person (n = 70/650, 11%) or discussed goals of care (n = 233/650, 36%). For meetings discussing goals of care, changes in patient goals of care occurred more often for in-person meetings rather than by video (36% vs. 11%, p = 0.0006). The average time to the first goals of care family meeting was 11.4 days from admission. More documented telephone meetings per admission were observed for White (10.5, SD 9.5) and Black/African-American (7.1, SD 6.6) patients compared to Hispanic or Latino patients (4.9, SD 4.9) (p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: During this period of strict visitor restrictions, few family meetings occurred in-person. Statistically significant fewer changes in patient goals of care occurred following video meetings compared to in-person meetings, providing support limiting in-person meetings may affect patient care.