Clinical Social Work End-Of-Life Survey: Constructive Work with Patients and Family Members on Advance Directives and Medical Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment

Abstract

This article identifies how clinical social workers in medical-surgical, mental health, and nephrology settings at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC) and the End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Network 5 Mid-Atlantic Renal Coalition assist nephrologists and other physicians in overcoming barriers to end-of-life (EOL) care planning, particularly in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) or acute kidney injury (AKI). To assess differences in practice patterns, an anonymous survey was administered to determine whether social workers were comfortable having EOL care discussions with their patients, and to also assess if these social workers were able to assist the physicians with EOL care planning. Findings showed that social workers identified multiple barriers to discussing EOL care planning. Participants also identified the most important conversations to have when discussing EOL care planning with their patients.