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Communication, Leadership, and Decision-Making in the Neuro-ICU

  • Critical Care (SA Mayer, Section Editor)
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Abstract

The Neuro-ICU is a multidisciplinary location that presents peculiar challenges and opportunities for patients with life-threatening neurological disease. Communication skills are essential in supporting caregivers and other embedded providers (e.g., neurosurgeons, advanced practice providers, nurses, pharmacists), through leadership. Limitations to prognostication complicate how decisions are made on behalf of non-communicative patients. Cognitive dysfunction and durable reductions in health-related quality of life are difficult to predict, and the diagnosis of brain death may be challenging and confounded by medications and comorbidities. The Neuro-ICU team, as well as utilization of additional consultants, can be structured to optimize care. Future research should explore how to further improve the composition, communication and interactions of the Neuro-ICU team to maximize outcomes, minimize caregiver burden, and promote collegiality.

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  1. Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA

    Stephen Trevick, Minjee Kim & Andrew Naidech

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  1. Stephen Trevick
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Correspondence to Stephen Trevick.

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Stephen Trevick and Minjee Kim declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Andrew Naidech discloses funding with a grant from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality as well as a patent pending on a clinical decision-making support tool with Northwestern University.

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Trevick, S., Kim, M. & Naidech, A. Communication, Leadership, and Decision-Making in the Neuro-ICU. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep 16, 99 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11910-016-0699-5

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