Clinical Trial Evaluates Electronic Nudges to Improve ICU Clinicians' Serious Illness Communication
A recent pragmatic randomized clinical trial in JAMA Internal Medicine investigated the effectiveness of nudging intensive care unit (ICU) clinicians to engage in serious illness communication with chronically ill patients. While the study found that the nudge did not significantly reduce hospital length of stay, the comfort-focused treatment alternative nudge led to a significant increase in discharge to hospice (10.9% vs 7.3%) and earlier comfort-care orders (4.5 days vs 3.6 days), without significantly affecting hospital or long-term mortality.