Lessons From the Frontlines: Insights for Future Palliative Ventilator Withdrawal Algorithm Implementation

Abstract

End-of-life (EOL) care in critical settings poses ethical and logistical challenges, emphasizing the need for standardized processes to ensure patient comfort. This quality improvement (QI) project implemented and evaluated a palliative ventilator withdrawal algorithm, incorporating a validated and reliable objective tool to assess dyspnea. We used the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research to examine facilitators, challenges, and lessons learned to inform future hospital-wide implementation.