Testing the What Matters to Me workbook in a diverse sample of seriously ill patients and caregivers

Objectives: We evaluated the What Matters to Me Workbook, a patient-facing version of the Serious Illness Conversation Guide co-created by Ariadne Labs and The Conversation Project.

Methods: We purposively recruited diverse seriously ill patients and caregivers in the US. Participants completed the Workbook, a survey, and a semi-structured in-depth interview about their experience. Qualitative analysis of interviews and notes was employed to extract themes. Simple descriptive statistics were employed to analyze eight investigator authored questions.

Results: Twenty-nine study participants completed twenty-one interviews and twenty-five surveys. Ratings for safety (3.87/4, SD = 0.43) and acceptability (3.59/4, SD = 0.956) were higher than ratings for ease of use (3.30/4, SD = 0.97) and usefulness (3.24/4, SD = 0.80). Qualitative analysis identified that while the workbook was safe, acceptable, easy to use, and useful, it is more important who is recommending it and how they are explaining it.

Conclusion: If presented in the right way by a trustworthy person, the What Matters to Me Workbook can be an easy to use, useful, and safe resource for patients with serious illness and their caregivers.

Innovation: The Workbook focuses on serious illness rather than end-of-life and meshes with a clinician-facing conversation guide and a health-system level intervention.