TABLE 1.
Comparison of Patients Cared for With the 3 Wishes Program Before and During the Pandemic
| Patient Characteristics | Prepandemic | Pandemic | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patients | Patients Without COVID-19 | Patients With COVID-19 | |
| Date of enrollment | March 1, 2019, to March 10, 2020 | March 10, 2020, to March 31, 2021 | March 10, 2020, to March 31, 2021 |
| Total number of 3WP patients, n | 215 | 202 | 106 |
| Mean age (sd), yr | 61.7 (16.2) | 62.2 (17.1) | 64.3 (16.0) |
| Women, n (%) | 109 (50.9) | 101 (50.0) | 43 (40.6) |
| Race/ethnicity, n (%) | |||
| White | 82 (38.1) | 85 (42.1) | 27 (25.5)a |
| Black | 25 (11.6) | 24 (11.9) | 6 (5.7) |
| Hispanic | 81 (38) | 61 (30) | 61 (57.6)a |
| Asian | 27 (12.6) | 28 (13.9) | 12 (11.3) |
| Other/unknown | 0 (0) | 3 (1.5) | 0 (0) |
| Spiritual belief | |||
| Christian: Catholic/Orthodox | 45 (20.9) | 58 (28.7) | 30 (28.3) |
| Christian: Protestant and other | 84 (39.1) | 64 (31.7) | 45 (42.5) |
| Jewish | 12 (5.6) | 17 (8.4) | 3 (2.8) |
| Muslim/Hindu/Buddhist/Other | 7 (3.8) | 8 (4) | 5 (7.2) |
| No religion indicated | 67 (31.2) | 55 (27.2) | 23 (21.7) |
| Mean Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score (sd) | 30.5 (8.7) | 31.6 (8.5) | 28.4 (9.1)a |
| Diagnostic category at time of ICU admission, n (%) | |||
| Respiratory | 84 (39.1) | 80 (39.6) | 89 (84.0)a |
| Cardiovascular | 61 (28.4) | 60 (29.7) | 11 (10.4)a |
| Sepsis | 34 (15.8) | 30 (14.5) | 4 (3.8)a |
| Gastrointestinal | 18 (8.4) | 16 (7.9) | 0 (0.0)a |
| Neurologic | 11 (5.1) | 14 (6.9) | 2 (1.9) |
| Other | 7 (3.3) | 2 (1.0) | 0 (0.0) |
| Used advanced life support | |||
| Mechanical ventilation, n (%) | 162 (75.4) | 154 (76.2) | 93 (87.7)a |
| Inotropes, n (%) | 162 (75.4) | 154 (76.2) | 93 (87.7)a |
| Hemodialysis, n (%) | 95 (44.2) | 98 (48.5) | 46 (43.9) |
| Length of stay, d, median (interquartile range) | 15 (5–26) | 10.5 (5–22) | 15 (10–25) |
| Died in the hospital, n (%) | 198 (92.1) | 193 (95.5) | 104 (98.1)a |
| Family/friend at bedside at time of death, n (%) | 191 (96.5) | 104 (53.9)a | 26 (25.0)a |
| 3WP Initiated by, n (%) | |||
| Bedside nurse | 163 (75.8) | 161 (79.7) | 72 (67.9) |
| ICU physician | 10 (4.7) | 14 (6.9) | 4 (3.8) |
| 3WP team (not part of clinical care) | 31 (14.4) | 18 (8.9) | 29 (27.4)a |
| Otherb | 9 (4.2) | 9 (4.5) | 1 (0.9) |
| Unknown | 2 (1.0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) |
3WP = 3 Wishes Program, COVID-19 = coronavirus disease 2019.
ap < 0.05 when compared with patients who participated in the 3 Wishes Program during the prepandemic period.
bOther 3WP initiators included social workers, member of the palliative care team, or the family themselves.