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Advance Care Planning: Communicating With Outpatients for Vital Informed Decision

Completed
Conditions
Communication Skills
Advance Directives
Shared Decision Making
Natural Language Processing
Advanced Care Planning
Video Decision Aids
Covid19
Interventions
Other: VitalTalk communication skills training
Other: ACP Decisions Video Program
Other: Medical Record Review
Registration Number
NCT04660422
Lead Sponsor
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Brief Summary

This Pre-Post, open-cohort design, pragmatic trial with 150 clinicians and will evaluate the effectiveness of the use of telehealth Advanced Care Planning (ACP) Program by comparing ACP documentation among 13,000 patients over 65

Detailed Description

This study is investigating if the use of telehealth ACP Program will improve and sustain rates of ACP from the time that the intervention is implemented compared to two time periods prior to the intervention. The Comprehensive ACP Program combines two widely disseminated interventions to assess impact when used concurrently.

* One is VitalTalk clinician communication skills training (www.vitaltalk.org) during which the primary care clinicians will practice ACP with simulated patient actors under the guidance of a trained VitalTalk facilitator.

* The second is the ACP Decisions video decision aids (www.acpdecisions.org) which are directed to patients and provide education about ACP. This inclusive ACP approach treats patients and clinicians as equal stakeholders providing both with the communication skills and tools needed to make decisions about COVID-19 medical care before the toughest choices arise.

* The training is four cumulative hours, most of which is spent in communication skills work, and the remainder learning how to introduce the videos into one's practice. No patients participate in the training. The ambulatory practices included in this intervention gain access to the ACP Decisions videos, which can be introduced to patients. Videos may be seen in clinic or sent to patients' homes via an electronic or paper code.

* We will recruit up to 30 clinicians from participating clinics who completed the intervention training and ask them to complete a qualitative interview to learn about their experience with the ACP intervention.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
42019
Inclusion Criteria
  • Clinic Eligibility: Clinics affiliated with Northwell Health may be included in the study.
  • Clinician, Staff Eligibility: Any staff member identified by the site-PIs are affiliated with Northwell Health.
  • Patient Eligibility: To be eligible for this study, individuals must be aged 65 or over, affiliated with the Northwell Health clinic. For each of the three periods of the study, those patients over the age of 65 who are engaged (e.g., seen in person, telehealth, etc.) with the clinic during that time period will be included in that time period
Exclusion Criteria
  • Individuals who are not yet adults (infants, children, teenagers)
  • Pregnant women
  • Prisoners

Study & Design

Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Study Design
Not specified
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
ACP rateVitalTalk communication skills trainingACP rate during the implementation period, which begins December 15, 2020 and continues for six months, to the rates in the previous two control periods December 15, 2020-June 15, 2021
ACP rateMedical Record ReviewACP rate during the implementation period, which begins December 15, 2020 and continues for six months, to the rates in the previous two control periods December 15, 2020-June 15, 2021
Pre-COVID-19 ACP baselineMedical Record ReviewTwo six-month control periods prior to the wide-scale implementation of the intervention, allow us to measure a baseline rate of ACP activity and identify the "pre-COVID-19 ACP baseline rate" and a "COVID-19 ACP baseline rate. September 15, 2019 - March 14, 2020,
COVID-19 rateMedical Record ReviewTwo six-month control periods prior to the wide-scale implementation of the intervention, allow us to measure a baseline rate of ACP activity and identify the "pre-COVID-19 ACP baseline rate" and a "COVID-19 ACP baseline rate. March 15, 2020 - September 14, 2020
ACP rateACP Decisions Video ProgramACP rate during the implementation period, which begins December 15, 2020 and continues for six months, to the rates in the previous two control periods December 15, 2020-June 15, 2021
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Rate for Advanced Care Planning (ACP) documentation2 Years

This study tests the effects of an ACP Program that trains clinicians and provides patients with a video decision aid on rates of ACP among 13,000 patients at risk, or with, COVID-19. All patients over 65 engaged with the enrolled clinics over the course of each time period in each of the three study periods will be included in the analysis. Rates of ACP are determined by natural language processing data extraction of electronic health records. Generalized linear mixed models will be used to compare outcomes between intervention and control periods.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Rate of orders for resuscitation preferences2 years

Same methodology as Primary Outcome

Rate of palliative care consultation2 years

Same methodology as Primary Outcome

Rate of referral to hospice2 years

Same methodology as Primary Outcome

Advanced Care Planning (ACP) documentation rates among under-represented minority groups.2 Years

The analysis will use a difference in differences approach comparing the changes from the control period to the intervention period between White and non-White racial minority and between non-Medicaid and Medicaid patients.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Northwell Health

🇺🇸

New Hyde Park, New York, United States

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