Start Date: ,
End Date: ,
Click here to access the article.
Introduction: By using a novel survey our study aimed to assess the challenges ECMO and Critical Care (CC) teams face when initiating and managing patient's ECMO support.
Methods: A qualitative survey-based observational study was performed of members of 2 Critical Care Medicine organizations involved in decision-making around the practice of Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO). The range of exploratory questions covered ethical principles of informed consent, autonomy and goals of care discussions, beneficence, non-maleficence (offering life-sustaining treatments in end-of-life care), and justice (insurance-related limitations of treatment). Questions also covered pragmatic practice and quality improvement areas, such as exploring whether palliative care or ethics teams were involved in such decision-making.