Is there a role for physician involvement in introducing research to surrogate decision makers in the intensive care unit? (The Approach trial: a pilot mixed methods study)

PurposeTo assess the feasibility of conducting a randomized trial comparing two strategies [physician (MD) vs. non-physician (non-MD)] for approaching substitute decision makers (SDMs) for research and to evaluate SDMs’ experiences in being approached for consent.MethodsA pilot mixed methods study of first encounters with SDMs.ResultsOf 137 SDMs (162 eligibility events), 67 and 70 were randomized to MD and non-MD introductions, respectively. …