Table 1.

Summary of Findings.

What Is the Purpose of Information Sharing in Hospice IDG Meetings?	What Information Do IDG Meeting Attendees Need to Achieve This Purpose?	Illustrative Quotations
Information supports whole-person carea	Information about patients’ and families’ physical, psychosocial, and spiritual goals and progress toward those goals is needed	“The team is more than just the medical side. It also deals with the psychological and emotional. So [in IDG meetings] we have all of those people at the table represented on the team… We try to put the emphasis on the whole family versus just [focusing on]…medications.” (interviewee #8, nurse)
Information supports physical care	Important information includes patients’ diagnoses, physical symptoms and related interventions, and functional status. Changes over time are key	“I’m amazed at the IDGs that don’t review the med[ication] list on each patient each time they’re talking about them.” (interviewee #2, physician)
Information supports psychosocial care	Information about family members’ (especially family caregivers’) needs is emphasized. Updated information on patients’ and family members’ emotional well-being is valued	“[Does the patient] have [a caregiver] who’s strong enough to ‘walk the mile,’ you know? Do they have the support they’re going to need?” (interviewee #15, nurse)
Information supports spiritual care	Spiritual and religious background and current concerns are viewed as potentially important influences on dying and coping with illness-related challenges	“Since he came on [hospice service] there’s been a request for him to be baptized. And [another chaplain]’s been following up on that and trying to get the right people, the right time, and provide the right education to do that. It’s now going to happen tomorrow … [It’s going to take place in] the kitchen there at the [nursing home] facility.” (discussion in IDG meeting, chaplain)
Information ensures care is consistent with patients’ and families’ goals	Patient and family goals serve as the basis of the plan of care. Hospice providers adopt a broad view of goals, including both symptom-related goals (eg, goals for pain control) and quality-of-life goals (eg, to marry a long-term romantic partner)	“The patient’s goals should be … number one … Our real purpose is to provide that added layer of support for that patient to accomplish what goals they have in the time that they have left. Number two are family goals … I was tempted to put those together, but the reality is they’re not always the same.” (interviewee #14, physician)
Information satisfies regulatory requirements	IDG meetings are required by federal regulations. So-called must-do items include discussing and documenting decisions regarding recertification	“A lot of times [IDG meetings] can be focused pretty heavily on two areas, and that’s the medical aspect and the Medicare/Medicaid reimbursement aspect, making sure that … all the documentation is in place.” (interviewee #11, chaplain)

Abbreviation: IDG, interdisciplinary group.

^aMajor themes are listed in this column in nonitalicized font. Subthemes are denoted in italics.