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Intervention to Promote Communication About Goals of Care for Hospitalized Patients With Serious Illness: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Curtis JR, Lee RY, Brumback LC, Kross EK, Downey L, Torrence J, LeDuc N, Mallon Andrews K et al.. JAMA, 2023-06-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Plain-language summary
Results Of 3918 patients screened, 2512 were enrolled (mean age, 71.7 [SD, 10.8] years and 42% were women) and randomized (1255 to the intervention group and 1257 to the usual care group). The analyses of the treatment effect modifiers suggested that the intervention had a larger effect size among patients with minoritized race or ethnicity. Conclusions and relevance Among hospitalized older adults with serious illness, a pragmatic clinician-facing communication-priming intervention significantly improved documentation of goals-of-care discussions in the electronic health record, with a greater effect size in racially or ethnically minoritized patients.
What this study adds
Evidence grade: High
The record lists 3,918 participants. This randomized trial found that a clinician-facing communication intervention improved documentation of goals-of-care discussions for hospitalized older adults with serious illness. Reported effect size: 1.8%; 0.5%; 34.5%.
Taken from this record’s own fields, not from reading the paper. The grade is assigned from the abstract’s wording; what that means.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Curtis, JR., Lee, R. Y., Brumback, L. C., Kross, E. K., Downey, L., Torrence, J., et al. (2023). Intervention to Promote Communication About Goals of Care for Hospitalized Patients With Serious Illness: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2023.8812
Vancouver
Curtis JR, Lee RY, Brumback LC, Kross EK, Downey L, Torrence J, et al. Intervention to Promote Communication About Goals of Care for Hospitalized Patients With Serious Illness: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA. 2023. doi:10.1001/jama.2023.8812. PMID: 37210665.
BibTeX
@article{curtis2023-37210665,
author = {Curtis, JR. and Lee, R. Y. and Brumback, L. C. and Kross, E. K. and Downey, L. and Torrence, J. and LeDuc, N. and Mallon Andrews, K. and others},
title = {{Intervention to Promote Communication About Goals of Care for Hospitalized Patients With Serious Illness: A Randomized Clinical Trial}},
journal = {JAMA},
year = {2023},
doi = {10.1001/jama.2023.8812},
pmid = {37210665},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2023.8812}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- Results Of 3918 patients screened, 2512 were enrolled (mean age, 71.7 [SD, 10.8] years and 42% were women) and randomized (1255 to the intervention group and 1257 to the usual care group).
- The analyses of the treatment effect modifiers suggested that the intervention had a larger effect size among patients with minoritized race or ethnicity.
- Conclusions and relevance Among hospitalized older adults with serious illness, a pragmatic clinician-facing communication-priming intervention significantly improved documentation of goals-of-care discussions in the electronic health record, with a greater effect size in racially or ethnically minoritized patients.
Why it matters
This randomized trial found that a clinician-facing communication intervention improved documentation of goals-of-care discussions for hospitalized older adults with serious illness. It is about communication about care goals and does not test any treatment, cure or prevention for Alzheimer's disease.
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Study details
- Participants3,918
- Effect size1.8%; 0.5%; 34.5%
- Evidence strengthHigh
How this study scored 65/100
Published in a top-tier journal. Scored zero for study design because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 10 / 10 | Tier 1 — top-tier general journal (JAMA) |
| Journal's citation record | 4 / 4 | JAMA: journal h-index 1,011 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 5 / 5 | Rated “high” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 3 / 5 | 2023 — within 6 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 3 / 4 | 3,918 participants |
| Effect reported | 2 / 3 | Effect reported as a number, without an interval or test |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomized / blinded | 1 / 2 | Randomized (as stated in the record) |
| Times cited | 4 / 7 | Cited 92 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 18.4 citations a year over 5 year(s) since 2023 |
| Impact for its field and year | 5 / 6 | Cited 21.5× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 1 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 78 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Ruth A. Engelberg: h-index 73 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 3 / 3 | University of Washington: institution h-index 3,540 (OpenAlex) |
| Multicenter collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 37210665) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 65 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
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