Susan E. Hickman
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Professor Susan Hickman (Professor, School of Nursing, Community & Health Systems) is committed to optimizing the quality of life for older adults in life’s final chapter through informed, values-based decision-making and effective communication about their treatment preferences. A primary focus of her research is the Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) program, which improves the continuity of care by communicating patients’ treatment preferences as actionable medical orders. Findings from her research have been widely disseminated and are used across the country to support programs based on the POLST model.
Hickman co-founded the Indiana Patient Preferences Coalition, a group of individuals and organizational representatives from law, medicine, nursing, senior care, and ethics. The coalition created the Indiana POST (Physician Orders for Scope of Treatment), which is based on the national POLST model. Dr. Hickman provides education and facilitation skills-training for POST to health care providers around the state. The National Institutes of Health recently awarded her a second grant to study the quality of POLST decisions. She also serves as the Palliative Care Core lead on a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services innovations grant where POLST is used to reduce avoidable hospitalizations and improve care in 19 Indianapolis area nursing facilities. Her collaboration with colleagues at IU Health resulted in the launch of the Encompass Initiative, which will provide education to improve primary palliative care throughout the academic health system.
Professor Hickman’s work to improve the quality of life for older adults in life’s final chapter is another example of how IUPUI faculty are TRANSLATING RESEARCH INTO PRACTICE.
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Item Systematic Review of the Literature for the Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) Program(Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 2013-04-05) Keevern, Elisabeth M.; Hickman, Susan E.The Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) program was developed in 1994 in order to translate patient treatment preferences regarding end-of-life care into immediately actionable physician’s orders, and can follow a patient through multiple care settings. A number of studies have been done on the POLST program to evaluate its efficacy and usefulness to residents and health care providers who deal with chronic illness and end-of-life care. However, because the program is relatively young, there is opportunity for more thorough research of the program and its impact on the field of end-of-life care. A systematic review of the literature was performed to summarize what is known about the POLST Program and identify areas for future research. The review of the literature yielded 12 studies focused on the POLST program: A majority (8 out of 12) studies were conducted in the long-term care setting; three were conducted in the community setting; and the remaining study focused on POLST’s use in the emergency response setting. Findings suggest that the kinds of orders documented on POLST differ depending on patient demographics and that providers’ overall opinion reflects that the program is both useful and beneficial. Several areas for future research were identified, including the program’s use in more diverse settings across the nation, barriers to POLST use, the quality of conversations regarding POLST, and patient and family experiences with the program.Item A Comparison of Methods to Communicate Treatment Preferences in Nursing Facilities: Traditional Practices versus the Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) Program(2010) Hickman, Susan E.; Nelson, Christine A.; Perrin, Nancy A.; Moss, Alvin H.; Hammes, Bernard J.; Tolle, Susan W.Background Traditional methods to communicate life-sustaining treatment preferences are largely ineffective. The Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) Program offers an alternative approach, but comparative data are lacking. Objectives To evaluate the relationship between communication methods (POLST versus traditional practices) and documentation of life-sustaining treatment orders, symptom assessment and management, and use of life-sustaining treatments. Design Retrospective observational cohort study conducted between June 2006 and April 2007. Setting A stratified, random sample of 90 Medicaid-eligible nursing facilities in Oregon, Wisconsin, and West Virginia. Subjects 1711 living and deceased nursing facility residents aged 65 and older with a minimum 60-day stay. Measurements Life-sustaining treatment orders; pain, shortness of breath, and related treatments over a 7-day period; and use of life-sustaining treatments over a 60-day period. Results POLST users were more likely to have orders about life-sustaining treatment preferences beyond CPR than non-POLST users (98.0% vs. 16.1%, P<.001). There were no differences between POLST users and non-users in symptom assessment or management. POLST users with orders for Comfort Measures Only were less likely to receive medical interventions (e.g., hospitalization) than residents with POLST Full Treatment orders (P=.004), residents with Traditional DNR orders (P<.001), or residents with Traditional Full Code orders (P<.001). Conclusion POLST users were more likely to have treatment preferences documented as medical orders than non-POLST users but there were no differences in symptom management or assessment. POLST orders restricting medical interventions were associated with the lower use of life-sustaining treatments. Findings suggest the POLST program offers significant advantages over traditional methods to communicate preferences about life-sustaining treatments.Item Compassion and Vigilance: Investigators' Strategies To Manage Ethical Concerns in Palliative and End-of-Life Research(2012) Hickman, Susan E.; Cartwright, Juliana C.; Nelson, Christine A.; Knafl, KathleenBackground Ethical concerns were identified as a potential barrier to advancing palliative and end-of-life science at the 2004 National Institutes of Health State of the Science Meeting. However, data are lacking about the nature of ethical concerns and strategies for balancing the need to advance science with human subjects protections. Methods A qualitative case-study design was used to follow 43 end-of-life studies from proposal development through the review process and implementation. Investigators participated in semi-structured telephone interviews and provided document data regarding their experiences with grant and IRB reviews. Using constant comparative analysis within and across cases, the investigators identified commonly encountered and unique concerns and strategies for managing these concerns. Findings Investigator strategies fell into two broad categories: 1) Recruitment and consent strategies related to subject identification and enrollment; and 2) Protocol-related strategies related to the process of data collection. These strategies shared the overarching meta-themes of compassion, as evidenced by a heightened sensitivity to the needs of the population, coupled with vigilance, as evidenced by close attention to the possible effects of study participation on the participants' well-being, clinical care, and the needs of research staff. Conclusions Ethical concerns have led to the development of compassionate and vigilant strategies designed to balance the potential for risk of harm with the need to advance the science of palliative and end-of-life care. These strategies can be used by investigators to address ethical concerns and minimize barriers to the development of palliative and end-of-life care science.Item Hospice Use Among Nursing Home Patients(2013-04) Unroe, Kathleen Tschantz; Sachs, Greg A.; Hickman, Susan E.; Stump, Timothy E.; Tu, Wanzhu; Callahan, Christopher M.Objectives Among hospice patients who lived in nursing homes, we sought to: (1) report trends in hospice use over time, (2) describe factors associated with very long hospice stays (>6 months), and (3) describe hospice utilization patterns. Design, setting, and participants We conducted a retrospective study from an urban, Midwest cohort of hospice patients, aged ≥65 years, who lived in nursing homes between 1999 and 2008. Measurements Demographic data, clinical characteristics, and health care utilization were collected from Medicare claims, Medicaid claims, and Minimum Data Set assessments. Patients with overlapping nursing home and hospice stays were identified. χ2 and t tests were used to compare patients with less than or longer than a 6-month hospice stay. Logistic regression was used to model the likelihood of being on hospice longer than 6 months. Results A total of 1452 patients received hospice services while living in nursing homes. The proportion of patients with noncancer primary hospice diagnoses increased over time; the mean length of hospice stay (114 days) remained high throughout the 10-year period. More than 90% of all patients had 3 or more comorbid diagnoses. Nearly 20% of patients had hospice stays longer than 6 months. The hospice patients with stays longer than 6 months were observed to have a smaller percentage of cancer (25% vs 30%) as a primary hospice diagnosis. The two groups did not differ by mean cognitive status scores, number of comorbidities, or activities of daily living impairments. The greater than 6 months group was much more likely to disenroll before death: 33.9% compared with 13.8% (P < .0001). A variety of patterns of utilization of hospice across settings were observed; 21 % of patients spent some of their hospice stay in the community. Conclusions Any policy proposals that impact the hospice benefit in nursing homes should take into account the difficulty in predicting the clinical course of these patients, varying utilization patterns and transitions across settings, and the importance of supporting multiple approaches for delivery of palliative care in this setting.Item Impact of Ambient Bright Light on Agitation in Dementia(2010) Barrick, Ann Louise; Sloane, Philip D.; Williams, Christianna S.; Mitchell, C. Madeline; Connell, Bettye Rose; Wood, Wendy; Hickman, Susan E.; Preisser, John S.; Zimmerman, SherylObjective To evaluate the effect of ambient bright light therapy on agitation among institutionalized persons with dementia. Methods High intensity, low glare ambient lighting was installed in activity and dining areas of a state psychiatric hospital unit in North Carolina and a dementia-specific residential care facility in Oregon. The study employed a cluster-unit crossover design involving four ambient lighting conditions: AM bright light, PM bright light, All Day bright light, and Standard light. Sixty-six older persons with dementia participated. Outcome measures included direct observation by research personnel and completion by staff caregivers of the 14-item, short form of the Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory (CMAI). Results Analyses of observational data revealed that for participants with mild/moderate dementia, agitation was higher under AM light (p=0.003), PM light (p<0.001), and All Day light (p=0.001) than Standard light. There also was a trend toward severely demented participants being more agitated during AM light than Standard light (p=0.053). Analysis of CMAI data identified differing responses by site: the North Carolina site significantly increased agitation under AM light (p=0.002) and PM light (p=0.013) compared with All Day light while in Oregon, agitation was higher for All Day light compared to AM light (p=0.030). In no comparison was agitation significantly lower under any therapeutic condition, in comparison to Standard lighting. Conclusions Ambient bright light is not effective in reducing agitation in dementia and may exacerbate this behavioral symptom.Item Investigators’ Successful Strategies for Working with Institutional Review Boards(2013) Cartwright, Juliana C.; Hickman, Susan E.; Nelson, Christine A.; Knafl, Kathleen A.This study was designed to identify successful strategies used by investigators for working with their Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) in conducting human subjects research. Telephone interviews were conducted with 46 investigators representing nursing, medicine, and social work. Interview transcripts were analyzed using qualitative descriptive methods. Investigators emphasized the importance of intentionally cultivating positive relationships with IRB staff and members, and managing bureaucracy. A few used evasive measures to avoid conflict with IRBs. Few successful strategies were identified for working with multiple IRBs. Although most investigators developed successful methods for working with IRBs, further research is needed on how differences in IRB culture affect human subjects protection, and on best approaches to IRB approval of multi-site studies.Item Physicians' and nurses' perspectives on increased family reports of pain in dying hospitalized patients(2000) Hickman, Susan E.; Tolle, Susan W.; Tilden, Virginia P.Many indicators suggest that care of the dying in Oregon has been improving over the past decade. However, results from a recent study suggest that one aspect of care of the dying, pain management, may be worsening. In late 1997, family reports of moderate and severe pain in dying hospitalized patients increased from 33% to 57%. This occurred during a volatile time in the Oregon political climate associated with events surrounding a second vote on physician-assisted suicide. In order to better understand the observed increase better, a statewide sample of physicians and nurses was surveyed to obtain their opinions about factors that may have contributed to the increased family reports of moderate and severe pain in dying hospitalized patients. Seventy-nine percent of respondents endorsed two or more factors as partial explanations. These factors include an increase in family expectations about pain management (endorsed by 96%), decreased physician prescribing (endorsed by 66%), and reduced nurse administration of pain medication (endorsed by 59%). Physicians who thought reduced physician prescribing was a partial factor rated fears of the Board of Medical Examiners and the Drug Enforcement Administration as the most likely explanations for decreased prescribing. More research is needed to better understand family expectations for end-of-life care, fears of investigation, and pain medication practices.Item The POLST program: a retrospective review of the demographics of use and outcomes in one community where advance directives are prevalent(2012-01) Hammes, Bernard J.; Rooney, Brenda L.; Gundrum, Jacob D.; Hickman, Susan E.; Hager, NickijoOBJECTIVES: Determine the use and utility of the Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) program in a community where powers of attorney for health care (POAHCs) are prevalent. METHODS: A retrospective review of medical record and death certificate data of 400 adults who died between September 1, 2007, and March 31, 2008, in the La Crosse County, Wisconsin community. Demographic and cause-of-death data were collected from death certificates. Information about POAHC, POLST forms, and medical treatments provided in the last 30 days of life were abstracted from decedents' medical records. RESULTS: Sixty-seven percent of decedents had a POLST form, whereas 22% had POAHC alone. In comparison with decedents with POAHC alone, decedents with a POLST form were significantly older (83 versus 77 years, p<0.001), more likely to die in a nursing home than in a hospital (p<0.001), and more likely to die from a terminal or chronic illnesses (97%). Decedents with POLST orders for higher levels of medical treatment received more treatment, and in only two cases was there evidence that treatment was discrepant with POLST orders. In 31% of all POLST forms, the person appointed in the POAHC consented to the POLST orders. CONCLUSIONS: POLST can be a highly effective program to ensure that patient preferences are known and honored in all settings. POAHCs are valuable because they identify appropriate surrogates when patients are incapacitated.Item Trends in opioid use over time: 1997 to 1999(2004-02) Tolle, Susan W.; Hickman, Susan E.; Tilden, Virginia P.; Bubalo, Joseph S.; Fromme, Erik K.Substantial resources have been spent to improve pain control for dying patients, and increased opioid administration has been presumed. Oregon has been a consistent leading state in per capita use for morphine for the past 10 years, as recorded by the Automation of Reports and Consolidated Orders System (ARCOS). Health policy experts, extrapolating from World Health Organization methods, have suggested these data are indicative of the quality of end-of-life care in Oregon. To determine whether trends in opioid prescription at the state and national levels reflect increased opioid use for inpatients during the final week of life, chart reviews were conducted to record all opioid medications administered in the last week of life to 877 adult inpatients who died from natural causes between January 1, 1997 and December 31, 1999. Inpatient morphine use did not increase significantly for dying patients from 1997 to 1999. However, overall morphine use for both Oregon and the United States as measured by ARCOS data increased significantly. Comparisons revealed no significant difference between linear trends for Oregon and U.S. morphine use, but both were significantly greater than the dying inpatients. This pattern was also found for all other opioids. These findings suggest that ARCOS data do not necessarily provide information about opioid use for specific subpopulations of patients and raise questions about the meaning of observed increases in ARCOS data.Item Use of the Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) Paradigm Program in the Hospice Setting(2009-02) Hickman, Susan E.; Nelson, Christine A.; Moss, Alvin H.; Hammes, Bernard J.; Terwilliger, Allison; Jackson, Ann; Tolle, Susan W.Background The Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) Paradigm Program was designed to ensure the full range of patient treatment preferences are honored throughout the health care system. Data are lacking about the use of POLST in the hospice setting. Objective To assess use of the POLST by hospice programs, attitudes of hospice personnel toward POLST, the effect of POLST on the use of life-sustaining treatments, and the types of treatments options selected by hospice patients. Design A telephone survey was conducted of all hospice programs in three states (Oregon, Wisconsin, and West Virginia) to assess POLST use. Staff at hospices reporting POLST use (n = 71) were asked additional questions about their attitudes toward the POLST. Chart reviews were conducted at a subsample of POLST-using programs in Oregon (n = 8), West Virginia (n = 5), and Wisconsin (n = 2). Results The POLST is used widely in hospices in Oregon (100%) and West Virginia (85%) but only regionally in Wisconsin (6%). A majority of hospice staff interviewed believe the POLST is useful at preventing unwanted resuscitation (97%) and at initiating conversations about treatment preferences (96%). Preferences for treatment limitations were respected in 98% of cases and no one received unwanted cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), intubation, intensive care, or feeding tubes. A majority of hospice patients (78%) with do-not-resuscitate (DNR) orders wanted more than the lowest level of treatment in at least one other category such as antibiotics or hospitalization. Conclusions The POLST is viewed by hospice personnel as useful, helpful, and reliable. It is effective at ensuring preferences for limitations are honored. When given a choice, most hospice patients want the option for more aggressive treatments in selected situations.