Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion
Publications Using the Bereaved Family Survey
Carpenter J, Kinder D, Smith D, Ersek M, Wachterman M, Thorpe J, Sullivan DR, Bailey J, Shreve S, Kutney-Lee A. Nursing Home Star Ratings and End-Of-Life Care Quality: Lessons Learned From the Veterans Health Administration. J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2024 Jun 28:105121. doi: 10.1016/j.jamda.2024.105121.
Dualeh SHA, Anderson MS, Abrahamse P, Kamdar N, Evans E, Suwanabol PA. Trends in End-of-Life Care and Satisfaction Among Veterans Undergoing Surgery. Ann Surg. 2024 Feb 23. doi: 10.1097/SLA.0000000000006253.
Vitous CA, Shabet C, Ferguson C, Edwards S, Duby A, Suwanabol PA. Family perspectives on end-of-life care after surgery: A qualitative analysis of the Veteran Affairs Bereaved Family Surveys. Am J Surg. 2024 Jul;233:11-15. doi: 10.1016/j.amjsurg.2023.12.016.
Wachterman MW, Smith D, Carpenter JG, Griffin HL, Thorpe J, Feder SL, Hoelter J, Ersek M, Shreve S, Kutney-Lee A. A comparison of end-of-life care quality for Veterans receiving hospice in VA nursing homes and community nursing homes. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2024 Jan;72(1):59-68. doi: 10.1111/jgs.18606.
Kutney-Lee A, Rodriguez KL, Ersek M, Carthon JMB. "They Did Not Know How to Talk to Us and It Seems That They Didn't Care:" Narratives from Bereaved Family Members of Black Veterans. J Racial Ethn Health Disparities. 2023 Sep 21. doi: 10.1007/s40615-023-01790-4.
Giannitrapani KF, McCaa MD, Maheta BJ, Raspi IG, Shreve ST, Lorenz KA. Serious illness care quality during COVID-19: Identifying improvement opportunities in narrative reports from a National Bereaved Family Survey. Palliat Med. 2023 Jul;37(7):1025-1033. doi: 10.1177/02692163231175693.
Pless Kaiser A, Moye J, Baird L, Sager Z, Wachterman M. Factors Associated With Distress Related to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder at the End of Life Among U.S. Veterans. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2023 Aug;66(2):102-115. doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2023.04.011.
Neville TH, Taich Z, Walling AM, Bear D, Cook DJ, Tseng CH, Wenger NS. The 3 Wishes Program Improves Families' Experience of Emotional and Spiritual Support at the End of Life. J Gen Intern Med. 2023 Jan;38(1):115-121. doi: 10.1007/s11606-022-07638-7.
Keddem S, Ayele R, Ersek M, Murray A, Griffith M, Morawej S, Kutney-Lee A. Barriers and facilitators to goals of care conversations with Veteran residents of community nursing homes. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2023 Apr 10. doi: 10.1111/jgs.18365.
Kinder D, Thorpe J, Smith D, Wachterman M, Kutney-Lee A. Psychometric Evaluation of the Veterans Affairs Bereaved Family Survey in Community Nursing Homes. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2022 Dec;64(6):e317-e322. doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2022.09.001.
Giannitrapani KF, Yefimova M, McCaa MD, Goebel JR, Kutney-Lee A, Gray C, Shreve ST, Lorenz KA. Using Family Narrative Reports to Identify Practices for Improving End-of-Life Care Quality. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2022 Oct;64(4):349-358. doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2022.06.017.
Kutney-Lee A, Khazanov GK, Carpenter JG, Griffin H, Kinder D, Shreve ST, Smith D, Thorpe JM, Ersek M. Palliative Care and Documented Suicide: Association Among Veterans With High Mortality Risk. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2022 Aug;64(2):e63-e69. doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2022.04.179.
Kutney-Lee A, Bellamy SL, Ersek M, Medvedeva EL, Smith D, Thorpe JM, Brooks Carthon JM. Care processes and racial/ethnic differences in family reports of end-of-life care among Veterans: A mediation analysis. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2022 Apr;70(4):1095-1105. doi: 10.1111/jgs.17632.
Haverfield MC, Garcia A, Giannitrapani KF, Walling A, Rigdon J, Bekelman DB, Lo N, Lehmann LS, Jacobs J, Festa N, Lorenz KA. Goals of Care Documentation: Insights from A Pilot Implementation Study. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2022 Apr;63(4):485-494. doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2021.12.023.
Kinder D, Smith D, Ersek M, Wachterman M, Thorpe J, Davis D, Kutney-Lee A. Family reports of end-of-life care among veterans in home-based primary care: The role of hospice. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2022 Jan;70(1):243-250. doi: 10.1111/jgs.17486.
Levy C, Esmaeili A, Smith D, Hogikyan R, Periyakoil V, Carpenter JG, Sales A, Ersek M. Family members' experience improves with care preference documentation in home based primary care. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2021 Dec;69(12):3576-3583. doi: 10.1111/jgs.17410.
Feder SL, Tate J, Ersek M, Krishnan S, Chaudhry SI, Bastian LA, Rolnick J, Kutney-Lee A, Akgün KM. The Association Between Hospital End-of-Life Care Quality and the Care Received Among Patients With Heart Failure. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2021 Apr;61(4):713-722.e1. doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2020.09.006.
Feder S, Smith D, Griffin H, Shreve ST, Kinder D, Kutney-Lee A, Ersek M. "Why Couldn't I Go in To See Him?" Bereaved Families' Perceptions of End-of-Life Communication During COVID-19. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2021 Mar;69(3):587-592. doi: 10.1111/jgs.16993.
Kutney-Lee A, Smith D, Griffin H, Kinder D, Carpenter J, Thorpe J, Murray A, Shreve S, Ersek M. Quality of end-of-life care for Vietnam-era Veterans: Implications for practice and policy. Healthc (Amst). 2021 Jun;9(2):100494. doi: 10.1016/j.hjdsi.2020.100494.
Ersek M, Smith D, Griffin H, Carpenter JG, Feder SL, Shreve ST, Nelson FX, Kinder D, Thorpe JM, Kutney-Lee A. End-Of-Life Care in the Time of COVID-19: Communication Matters More Than Ever. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2021 Aug;62(2):213-222.e2. doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2020.12.024
Agha A, Kutney-Lee A, Kinder D, Shreve S, Keddem S. "That is Care That you Just can't fake!": Identifying Best Practices for the Care of Vietnam Veterans at End of Life. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2021 May;61(5):983-990. doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2020.09.026.
Carpenter J, Smith D, Griffin H, Kinder D, Thorpe J, Ersek M, Kutney-Lee A. Quality of End-of-Life Care for Vietnam Veterans: Implications for Practice and Policy. Innovation in Aging, Volume 4, Issue Supplement_1, 2020, Page 246. doi: 10.1093/geroni/igaa057.793.
Feder S, Ersek M, Kutney-Lee A, Luhrs C, Bastian L, Akgun K. End-of-Life Care Quality Varies Among Facilities in the Department of Veterans Affairs for Patients with Heart Failure. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management. 2020 59(2):546-7. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2019.12.294.
Gray C, Yefimova M, McCaa M, Goebel JR, Shreve S, Lorenz KA, Giannitrapani K. Developing Unique Insights From Narrative Responses to Bereaved Family Surveys. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2020 Oct;60(4):699-708. doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2020.05.007.
Yefimova M, Aslakson RA, Yang L, Garcia A, Boothroyd D, Gale RC, Giannitrapani K, Morris AM, Johanning JM, Shreve S, Wachterman MW, Lorenz KA. Palliative Care and End-of-Life Outcomes Following High-risk Surgery. JAMA Surg. 2020 Feb 1;155(2):138-146. doi: 10.1001/jamasurg.2019.5083.
Levy C, Ersek M, Scott W, Carpenter JG, Kononowech J, Phibbs C, Lowry J, Cohen J, Foglia M. Life-Sustaining Treatment Decisions Initiative: Early Implementation Results of a National Veterans Affairs Program to Honor Veterans' Care Preferences. J Gen Intern Med. 2020 Jun;35(6):1803-1812. doi: 10.1007/s11606-020-05697-2.
Carpenter JG, Ersek M, Nelson F, Kinder D, Wachterman M, Smith D, Murray A, Garrido MM. A National Study of End-of-Life Care among Older Veterans with Hearing and Vision Loss. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2020 Apr;68(4):817-825. doi: 10.1111/jgs.16298.
Del Rosario C, Kutney-Lee A, Sochalski J, Ersek M. Does Quality of End-of-Life Care Differ by Urban-Rural Location? A Comparison of Processes and Family Evaluations of Care in the VA. J Rural Health. 2019 Sep;35(4):528-539. doi: 10.1111/jrh.12351.
Akgün KM, Gruenewald DA, Smith D, Wertheimer D, Luhrs C. A National VA Palliative Care Quality Improvement Project for Improving Intensive Care Unit Family Meetings (ICU-FMs). J Pain Symptom Manage. 2019 Dec;58(6):1075-1080. doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2019.08.015.
Richards CA, Hebert PL, Liu CF, Ersek M, Wachterman MW, Taylor LL, Reinke LF, O'Hare AM. Association of Family Ratings of Quality of End-of-Life Care With Stopping Dialysis Treatment and Receipt of Hospice Services. JAMA Netw Open. 2019 Oct 2;2(10):e1913115. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.13115.
Smith D, Thorpe JM, Ersek M, Kutney-Lee A. Identifying Optimal Factor Scores on the Bereaved Family Survey: Implications for Practice and Policy. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2019 Jul;58(1):108-114. doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2019.04.002.
Kutney-Lee A, Carpenter J, Smith D, Thorpe J, Tudose A, Ersek M. Case-Mix Adjustment of the Bereaved Family Survey. Am J Hosp Palliat Care. 2018 Jul;35(7):1015-1022. doi: 10.1177/1049909117752669.
Manfredi, L., Lorenz, K., Smith, D., Ersek, M., Gale, R. Do Family Comments Received on Quality of Care Surveys Help Systematically Understand Performance? Evaluating Family Comments on the Bereaved Family Survey (BFS). Journal of Pain and Symptom Management. 2017 53(2): 451-452. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2016.12.286.
Carpenter JG, McDarby M, Smith D, Johnson M, Thorpe J, Ersek M. Associations between Timing of Palliative Care Consults and Family Evaluation of Care for Veterans Who Die in a Hospice/Palliative Care Unit. J Palliat Med. 2017 Jul;20(7):745-751. doi: 10.1089/jpm.2016.0477.
Ersek M, Miller SC, Wagner TH, Thorpe JM, Smith D, Levy CR, Gidwani R, Faricy-Anderson K, Lorenz KA, Kinosian B, Mor V. Association between aggressive care and bereaved families' evaluation of end-of-life care for veterans with non-small cell lung cancer who died in Veterans Affairs facilities. Cancer. 2017 Aug 15;123(16):3186-3194. doi: 10.1002/cncr.30700.
Kutney-Lee A, Smith D, Thorpe J, Del Rosario C, Ibrahim S, Ersek M. Race/Ethnicity and End-of-Life Care Among Veterans. Med Care. 2017 Apr;55(4):342-351. doi: 10.1097/MLR.0000000000000637.
Thorpe JM, Smith D, Kuzla N, Scott L, Ersek M. Does Mode of Survey Administration Matter? Using Measurement Invariance to Validate the Mail and Telephone Versions of the Bereaved Family Survey. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2016 Mar;51(3):546-56. doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2015.11.006.
Wachterman MW, Pilver C, Smith D, Ersek M, Lipsitz SR, Keating NL. Quality of End-of-Life Care Provided to Patients With Different Serious Illnesses. JAMA Intern Med. 2016 Aug 1;176(8):1095-102. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2016.1200.
Ersek M, Thorpe J, Kim H, Thomasson A, Smith D. Exploring End-of-Life Care in Veterans Affairs Community Living Centers. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2015 Apr;63(4):644-50. doi: 10.1111/jgs.13348.
Smith D, Kuzla N, Thorpe J, Scott L, Ersek M. Exploring Nonresponse Bias in the Department of Veterans Affairs' Bereaved Family Survey. J Palliat Med. 2015 Oct;18(10):858-64. doi: 10.1089/jpm.2015.0050.
Kutney-Lee A, Brennan CW, Meterko M, Ersek M. Organization of nursing and quality of care for veterans at the end of life. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2015 Mar;49(3):570-7. doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2014.07.002.
Roza KA, Lee EJ, Meier DE, Goldstein NE. A survey of bereaved family members to assess quality of care on a palliative care unit. J Palliat Med. 2015 Apr;18(4):358-65. doi: 10.1089/jpm.2014.0172.
Sudore RL, Casarett D, Smith D, Richardson DM, Ersek M. Family involvement at the end-of-life and receipt of quality care. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2014 Dec;48(6):1108-16. doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2014.04.001.
Ersek M, Smith D, Cannuscio C, Richardson DM, Moore D. A nationwide study comparing end-of-life care for men and women veterans. J Palliat Med. 2013 Jul;16(7):734-40. doi: 10.1089/jpm.2012.0537.
Smith D, Caragian N, Kazlo E, Bernstein J, Richardson D, Casarett D. Can we make reports of end-of-life care quality more consumer-focused? results of a nationwide quality measurement program. J Palliat Med. 2011 Mar;14(3):301-7. doi: 10.1089/jpm.2010.0321.
Casarett D, Johnson M, Smith D, Richardson D. The optimal delivery of palliative care: a national comparison of the outcomes of consultation teams vs inpatient units. Arch Intern Med. 2011 Apr 11;171(7):649-55. doi:10.1001/archinternmed.2011.87.
Alici Y, Smith D, Lu HL, Bailey A, Shreve S, Rosenfeld K, Ritchie C, Casarett DJ. Families' perceptions of veterans' distress due to post-traumatic stress disorder-related symptoms at the end of life. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2010 Mar;39(3):507-14. doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2009.07.011.
Casarett D, Shreve S, Luhrs C, Lorenz K, Smith D, De Sousa M, Richardson D. Measuring families' perceptions of care across a health care system: preliminary experience with the Family Assessment of Treatment at End of Life Short form (FATE-S). J Pain Symptom Manage. 2010 Dec;40(6):801-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2010.03.019.
Casarett D, Smith D, Breslin S, Richardson D. Does nonresponse bias the results of retrospective surveys of end-of-life care? J Am Geriatr Soc. 2010 Dec;58(12):2381-6. doi: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2010.03175.x.
De Sousa M, Smith D, Corcoran A, Bailey FA, Furman C, Ritchie C, Rosenfeld K, Shreve S, Casarett D. Families' perceptions of inpatient and home hospice care at end-of-life. Arch Intern Med. 2010 Nov 8;170(20):1856-7. doi: 10.1001/archinternmed.2010.392.
Lu H, Trancik E, Bailey FA, Ritchie C, Rosenfeld K, Shreve S, Furman C, Smith D, Wolff C, Casarett D. Families' perceptions of end-of-life care in Veterans Affairs versus non-Veterans Affairs facilities. J Palliat Med. 2010 Aug;13(8):991-6. doi: 10.1089/jpm.2010.0044.
Casarett D, Pickard A, Bailey FA, Ritchie C, Furman C, Rosenfeld K, Shreve S, Chen Z, Shea JA. Do palliative consultations improve patient outcomes? J Am Geriatr Soc. 2008 Apr;56(4):593-9. doi: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2007.01610.x.
Casarett D, Pickard A, Amos Bailey F, Ritchie C, Furman C, Rosenfeld K, Shreve S, Shea JA. Important aspects of end-of-life care among veterans: implications for measurement and quality improvement. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2008 Feb;35(2):115-25. doi:10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2007.03.008.
Finlay E, Shreve S, Casarett D. Nationwide veterans affairs quality measure for cancer: the family assessment of treatment at end of life. J Clin Oncol. 2008 Aug 10;26(23):3838-44. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2008.16.8534.
Casarett D, Pickard A, Bailey FA, Ritchie CS, Furman CD, Rosenfeld K, Shreve S, Shea J. A nationwide VA palliative care quality measure: the family assessment of treatment at the end of life. J Palliat Med. 2008 Jan-Feb;11(1):68-75. doi: 10.1089/jpm.2007.0104.
Edes T, Shreve S, Casarett D. Increasing access and quality in Department of Veterans Affairs care at the end of life: a lesson in change. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2007 Oct;55(10):1645-9. doi: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2007.01321.x.
