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Critical IllnessPONDER-ICUNCT03139838

Prognosticating Outcomes and Nudging Decisions With Electronic Records in the ICU Trial

A study testing EHR-Based Intervention A and EHR-Based Intervention B in people with Critical Illness, run by University of Pennsylvania at 10 sites in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

This is a pragmatic, stepped-wedge, cluster randomized trial testing the real-world effectiveness of two different electronic health record (EHR) behavioral interventions in improving a number of patient- and family-centered processes and outcomes of care among seriously ill hospitalized patients. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and older
Conditions the study is for
Critical Illness
What is being tested?
EHR-Based Intervention A and EHR-Based Intervention B
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
3,500 participants
Where
10 sitesUnited States
Study dates
1 Feb 2018to 30 Jun 2022
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 years and older
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • ≥18 years old; AND
  • Admitted to 1 of the 17 participating ICUs; AND
  • Receipt of continuous mechanical ventilation for ≥ 48 hours (without interruption); AND
  • ≥ 1 life-limiting illness present on admission (ICD-9/10 code or discrete medical history data from EHR in prior 12 months):
  • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
  • Cirrhosis
Show all 14Show fewer
  • Congestive heart failure
  • Dementia (all types)
  • End-stage renal disease
  • Hematologic malignancy
  • Metastatic malignancy
  • Motor neuron disease
  • Pulmonary fibrosis
  • Solid organ malignancy

Who cannot join

  • 1) Patients younger than 18 years old are excluded.

Trial locations and contacts

10 sites in 1 country.

10 sites in 1 country

United States10 sites
  • Carolinas HealthCare System Stanly

    Albemarle, North Carolina, 28001

  • Carolinas HealthCare System, NorthEast

    Charlotte, North Carolina, 28025

  • Carolinas Medical Center

    Charlotte, North Carolina, 28203

  • Atrium Health CMC-Mercy

    Charlotte, North Carolina, 28207

  • Atrium Health Pineville

    Charlotte, North Carolina, 28210

  • Atrium Health University City

    Charlotte, North Carolina, 28262

  • Atrium Health Lincoln

    Lincolnton, North Carolina, 28092

  • Atrium Health Union

    Monroe, North Carolina, 28112

  • Carolinas HealthCare System Blue Ridge-Morganton

    Morganton, North Carolina, 28655

  • Atrium Health Cleveland

    Shelby, North Carolina, 28150

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: Behavioral Economic Approaches to Improve Palliative Care for Critically Ill Patients

This is a pragmatic, stepped-wedge, cluster randomized trial testing the real-world effectiveness of two different electronic health record (EHR) behavioral interventions in improving a number of patient- and family-centered processes and outcomes of care among seriously ill hospitalized patients. The investigators hypothesize that outcomes can be improved without raising costs by requiring intensive care unit clinicians to (i) document a prognostic estimate and (ii) provide a justification if they choose not to offer patients the option of comfort-oriented care. To test this hypothesis the investigators will conduct a 33-month trial at 17 intensive care units in 10 hospitals using the same Cerner EHR within Atrium Health System.

Read the detailed description

The PONDER-ICU trial aims to generate large-scale, experimental evidence regarding the real-world effectiveness of two different electronic health record (EHR) behavioral interventions in improving a number of patient- and family-centered processes and outcomes of care among seriously ill hospitalized patients. The interventions are designed to increase intensive care unit (ICU) physicians' and advanced practitioners' (physician assistants and nurse practitioners) engagement of critically ill patients and caregivers in discussions about alternative treatment options, including care focused on comfort. To achieve this goal, the investigators will conduct a 33-month pragmatic, stepped-wedge cluster randomized clinical trial at 17 ICUs within 10 Atrium Health System hospitals. The investigators hypothesize that outcomes can be improved without raising costs by requiring ICU clinicians to (i) document a prognostic estimate (Intervention A) and (ii) provide a justification if they choose not to offer patients the option of comfort-oriented care (Intervention B). Approximately 4,750 adult patients (1) with chronic life-limiting illness and receiving continuous mechanical ventilation for ≥48 hours will be enrolled. Participating hospitals will be randomized into 5 clusters of 2 hospitals each. Each hospital will first contribute a minimum of 5 months of data collection during usual care in a control phase. Then, using the step-wedge design, all hospitals will implement the two EHR-based interventions. The order in which the interventions will be adopted and the timing of adoption at each hospital will both be determined by random assignment. After 12 months of utilizing Intervention A or Intervention B, each hospital will adopt and implement the second intervention in combination with the other. By the end of the trial, all hospitals will have utilized the combined interventions for at least 4 months. The primary outcome is a composite measure of hospital length of stay and mortality. Secondary outcomes include an array of clinical outcomes, as well as palliative care-related process measures.

Being tested
EHR-Based Intervention A, EHR-Based Intervention B
Keywords
Palliative Care, Pragmatic Clinical Trial, Electronic Health Records, Economics, Behavioral
Medical subject headings
Critical Illness, Behavior

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • EHR-Based Intervention ABehavioural

    Also called Prognostication

    Intervention A will be a prompt for clinicians to document an estimated prognosis for patients at 6 months, and an assessment of predicted functional outcome if expected to survive.

  • EHR-Based Intervention BBehavioural

    Also called Accountable Justification

    Intervention B will entail a prompt for clinicians to provide a reason for not offering patients and their families the alternative of care focused entirely on comfort despite recommendations from critical care professional societies to do so for patients at high risk for death or severely impaired functional recovery.

Study groups in NCT03139838
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
EHR-Based Intervention AActive comparatorIntervention A (Prognostication) will be an EHR-based screen prompt triggered for eligible patients. The intervention will consist of no more than two questions that can be completed in two minutes or less. Completion of the prompt will be encouraged but not required, and adherence will be assessed in a minimally intrusive manner.
Receives: Behavioral: EHR-Based Intervention A
EHR-Based Intervention BActive comparatorIntervention B (Accountable Justification) will be an EHR-based screen prompt triggered for eligible patients. The intervention will consist of no more than two questions that can be completed in two minutes or less. Completion of the prompt will be encouraged but not required, and adherence will be assessed in a minimally intrusive manner.
Receives: Behavioral: EHR-Based Intervention B
Combined EHR-Based Intervention (A+B)Active comparatorIntervention A and B prompts will be combined and triggered for eligible patients simultaneously. Completion of the prompt will be encouraged but not required, and adherence will be assessed in a minimally intrusive manner.
Receives: Behavioral: EHR-Based Intervention A; Behavioral: EHR-Based Intervention B
Pre-Intervention (Control)No interventionThere is no trial-driven approach to care. All hospitals contribute a minimum of 5 months of outcomes data prior to adopting the intervention. Pre-specified outcomes data will be electronically extracted for patients meeting eligibility criteria but there will be no attempt to influence delivery of usual care within the hospital. The length of the control phase will differ at each hospital, dependent on the sequence in which hospitals are assigned to switch to the intervention phase.

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Composite Measure: Length of Stay and In-Hospital Mortality

    The primary outcome is a composite measure of hospital length-of-stay and mortality that ranks deaths along the length-of-stay distribution

    Measured: Duration of hospital stay, an expected average of 16 days

Secondary outcomes (20)
  1. Change in code status

    Change in documented code status during hospital admission

    Measured: Duration of hospital stay, an expected average of 16 days

  2. Initiation of additional forms of life-support

    Initiation of additional form of life-support (e.g. surgical feeding tube, dialysis) during hospital admission

    Measured: Duration of hospital stay, an expected average of 16 days

  3. Palliative care consult

    Receipt of palliative care consult during hospital admission

    Measured: Duration of hospital stay, an expected average of 16 days

  4. Time to palliative care consult

    The number of hours from ICU admission to inpatient palliative care consult

    Measured: Duration of hospital stay, an expected average of 16 days

  5. Palliative withdrawal of mechanical ventilation

    Palliative withdrawal of mechanical ventilation during hospital admission

    Measured: Duration of hospital stay, an expected average of 16 days

  6. Receipt of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)

    CPR prior to death or discharge

    Measured: Duration of hospital stay, an expected average of 16 days

  7. ICU mortality

    ICU mortality

    Measured: Duration of hospital stay, an expected average of 16 days

  8. ICU length of stay

    ICU length of stay (hours)

    Measured: Duration of hospital stay, an expected average of 16 days

  9. ICU readmission

    Readmission to an ICU within the same hospitalization

    Measured: Duration of hospital stay, an expected average of 16 days

  10. Duration of mechanical ventilation

    Hours of mechanical ventilation during hospital admission

    Measured: Duration of hospital stay, an expected average of 16 days

  11. Time to withdrawal of life-support

    The number of hours from trial enrollment to time that comfort-care order is placed

    Measured: Duration of hospital stay, an expected average of 16 days

  12. Hospital discharge disposition

    Hospital discharge disposition to home, hospice, long-term acute care, nursing facility, or rehabilitation

    Measured: Duration of hospital stay, an expected average of 16 days

  13. Quality of Dying & Death (1-item)

    Nurse-reported postmortem rating of a patient's dying experience

    Measured: 48-72 hours following an in-hospital death

  14. 30-day hospital readmission

    30-day hospital readmission

    Measured: 30 days

  15. 90-day hospital readmission

    30-day hospital readmission

    Measured: 30 days

  16. 180-day hospital readmission

    30-day hospital readmission

    Measured: 30 days

  17. 30-day mortality

    Mortality rate at 30 days

    Measured: 30 days

  18. 90-day mortality

    Mortality rate at 90 days

    Measured: 90 days

  19. 180-day mortality

    Mortality rate at 180 days

    Measured: 180 days

  20. Hospital free days

    Hospital free days within 180 days

    Measured: 180 days

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted4 May 2017
  2. Study start1 Feb 2018
  3. Primary completion24 Apr 2021
  4. Study completion30 Jun 2022

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Health services research
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Crossover
Masking
Double blind
Who is masked
Participant, Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
3,500 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT03139838
Sponsor's protocol ID
UPenn IRB #826933
Other IDs
52635
Acronym
PONDER-ICU
Status last verified
Aug 2022
First submitted
25 Apr 2017
Last updated
8 Aug 2022
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Publications

  • Courtright KR, Singh J, Dress EM, Bayes B, Harhay MO, Chowdhury M, Lu Y, Lee KM, Small DS, Whitman C, Tian J, Madden V, Hetherington T, Placket L, Sullivan DM, Burke HL, Green MB, Halpern SD. Nudging Clinicians to Promote Serious Illness Communication for Critically Ill Patients: A Pragmatic Cluster Randomized Trial. JAMA Intern Med. 2025 May 1;185(5):510-520. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2025.0090.

    PubMed 40094649
  • Courtright KR, Dress EM, Singh J, Bayes BA, Chowdhury M, Small DS, Hetherington T, Plickert L, Detsky ME, Doctor JN, Harhay MO, Burke HL, Green MB, Huynh T, Sullivan DM, Halpern SD; PONDER-ICU Investigative Team. Prognosticating Outcomes and Nudging Decisions with Electronic Records in the Intensive Care Unit Trial Protocol. Ann Am Thorac Soc. 2021 Feb;18(2):336-346. doi: 10.1513/AnnalsATS.202002-088SD.

    PubMed 32936675

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing EHR-Based Intervention A and EHR-Based Intervention B in people with Critical Illness, run by University of Pennsylvania at 10 sites in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 14 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 8 Aug 2022. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 10 sites in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Composite Measure: Length of Stay and In-Hospital Mortality (time frame: Duration of hospital stay, an expected average of 16 days). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT03139838, which also lists 2 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 8 Aug 2022.

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