Improving End of Life Care in Head and Neck Cancer

Terminated

• Conditions: Upper Aerodigestive Tract; The Families or Next of Kin of Patients Treated at MSKCC for Non-cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinomas of the
• Interventions: Behavioral: The The Family Assessment of Treatment at the End of life (FATE ) survey

• Registration Number: NCT01632969
• Lead Sponsor: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to improve the quality of care provided for head and neck cancer patients. By better understanding the end of life experiences of dying patients and their families, the investigators hope to better anticipate and improve upon the experiences of future patients and their families.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2012-06
• Study First Submitted: 2012-06-29
• Study First Submitted QC: 2012-07-03
• Study First Posted: 2012-07-04
• Primary Completion: 2014-06
• Study Completion: 2014-06
• Status Verified: 2015-03
• Last Update Submitted: 2015-03-04
• Last Update Posted: 2015-03-06

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: TERMINATED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 2

Inclusion Criteria

• Head and neck cancer patients who received their treatment at MSKCC who have died of noncutaneous squamous cell carcinomas of the upper aerodigestive tract and for whom family / next of kin contact information is available.
• Time of patient death must have been at least 6 months ago and no more than 4 years ago
• Patient age at time of death must be over 21 years of age.
• Those interviewed must be English-fluent.

Read More

Exclusion Criteria

• Non-English speaking interviewees
• Next-of-kin who reported being unfamiliar with care received during the last month of life
• Next-of-kin who did not identify themselves as one of the patient's primary social supports during the last month of life
• Next-of-kin who were not physically present with the deceased at least once during the last week of his/her life
• Next-of-kin under age 21

Read More

Study & Design

• Study Type: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Design: Not specified

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
families or next-of-kin of deceased patients	The The Family Assessment of Treatment at the End of life (FATE ) survey	The families of deceased patients treated at MSKCC for non-cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas of the upper aerodigestive tract for whom contact information is available will be recruited by mail and by phone.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
quality of care received by patients	1 year	To determine the perception of the family members of the quality of care received by patients with aerodigestive mucosal squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck at the end of their lives. A survey will be administered to the families and next-of-kin of deceased patients. A recently validated survey instrument, the Family Assessment of Treatment at the End of life (FATE), is designed to assess treatment at the end of life based upon the responses of family members of the deceased (Finlay, Shreve et al. 2008).

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
quality of death outcomes	1 year	To identify specific risk factors or interventions that might predict certain quality of death outcomes. A survey will be administered to the families and next-of-kin of deceased patients.A recently validated survey instrument, the Family Assessment of Treatment at the End of life (FATE), is designed to assess treatment at the end of life based upon the responses of family members of the deceased (Finlay, Shreve et al. 2008).
awareness among caregivers	1 year	To raise awareness among caregivers of the perspectives of family members of deceased patients, and of risk factors that might predict patient quality of death. This survey will be administered to the families and next-of-kin of deceased patients. A recently validated survey instrument, the Family Assessment of Treatment at the End of life (FATE), is designed to assess treatment at the end of life based upon the responses of family members of the deceased (Finlay, Shreve et al. 2008).

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center; 🇺🇸 New York, New York, United States