Strategies to Support Surrogate Decision Makers of Patients With Chronic Critical Illness: The Search Continues

Patients with chronic critical illness (defined as a critical illness that requires prolonged mechanical ventilation) are at high risk for death or severe functional impairment.¹ The surrogate decision makers for these patients face challenging decisions about whether to continue life-prolonging treatments given uncertain outcomes. A growing body of research indicates that surrogates often experience symptoms of depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress in the months following the intensive care unit (ICU) admission of a family member.²