Each year, there are hundreds of thousands of people in the United States who become critically ill and end up on a breathing machine for weeks to months. These patients are often too sick to speak for themselves, so their family members must make hard medical decisions on their behalf. Over the past several years, we have talked with many families who have been through this experience. Families consistently described experiencing breakdowns in communication and support across the patient’s illness and different care settings, including the ICU, long-term acute care hospital (LTACH), and/or nursing home. In response to what families have shared, we are building a program called BRIDGE-CCI to help better support families.
This is a partnership. You will be part of a small group called the family collaborative that meets regularly to help us better understand families’ experiences, what families need most across the patient’s illness, and to reimagine what systems and individual interactions could look like. Here is what to expect: • Approximately 8-10 virtual, 1-hour long group sessions, with other family members, over about 6-8 months. • 1:1 and asynchronous options for sharing perspectives and providing input. • Sessions are held every 2-3 weeks, though that may change depending on what we hear from you! • Sessions will include interactive activities and surveys Your input and perspectives will be gathered alongside those of clinicians and administrators, so the program truly reflects what matters most to families and can work in real life. If you’re still interested after the first 8-10 sessions, we’ll invite you to be a part of building the BRIDGE-CCI the following year.
We are looking for family members or close friends who: • Are 18 years or older • Are or were one of the people primarily involved in making medical decisions for an adult family member or friend that became critically ill and used a breathing machine for weeks to months • Made decisions for that person across at least one of the following care settings: the ICU, a long-term acute care hospital (LTACH), or a nursing facility
Funded: ASCENT grant and K23 NHLBI
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