Feasibility, Acceptability, and Effectiveness of Serious Illness Conversation Guide Training for Residents in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit

Goals of care conversations are essential for physicians treating critically ill patients in the surgical intensive care unit (SICU). However, many providers feel uncomfortable having these conversations. This study aimed to assess the feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of implementing training in the Serious Illness Conversation Guide (SICG) for residents in our institution’s SICU. All residents rotating through our institution’s SICU during the 2021–2022 academic year completed SICG training. Training consisted of a 1.5-h pre-recorded lecture, pre-course reading, and quiz followed by a 1-h group session for participants to practice the SICG with standardized patients. Validated surveys were administered before, after, and at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months post-training to evaluate the acceptability and effectiveness of the training. Training significantly increased residents’ mean confidence levels in conducting serious illness conversations (4.3 ± 0.4 vs. 5.4 ± 0.1, p < 0.001). Post-training, 92