The Effect of Case Management in Complex Cancer Pathways
Overview
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Intervention
- Not specified
- Conditions
- Colonic Neoplasms
- Sponsor
- University of Aarhus
- Enrollment
- 280
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- Patient satisfaction with care pathways(questionnaire)
- Status
- Completed
- Last Updated
- 13 years ago
Overview
Brief Summary
Introduction: Case management (CM) has been proposed as a method for optimizing the course of treatment for complicated cancer patients. However evidence of the effect of CM is limited and methodologically rigorous research is needed.
Aim: To analyze effects of Nurse CM in complicated cancer care.
Methods: The study is designed as a two-arm randomized controlled trial (RCT) including approximately 280 colorectal cancer patients.
Intervention group patients will be offered usual medical treatment plus supportive intervention from a case manager. Control group patients will receive usual medical and supportive treatment.
The intervention: Case managers are registered nurses and possess thorough knowledge of cancer treatment and pathways. Core intervention elements: Planned and ad hoc personal and telephone contacts, surveillance of care pathways, coordination and dissemination of care plan (including transfer of patient-specific information to other departments and general practice).
Primary outcomes: Patient evaluations of care pathways and "Quality of Life" (questionnaires).
Secondary outcomes: Use of health care services and care process measures (The National Health Insurance Service Registry and The National Patient Registry; and GPs' evaluations of continuity of care (questionnaire).
Schedule:
- "Case management used to optimize cancer care pathways: A systematic Review" has been published in BMC Health Services Research.
- The CM manual has been written. Questionnaires are under development and pilot testing.
- Two case managers have been appointed 1. January 2009.
- After training and pilot testing of the intervention the RCT will begin in March 2009. Inclusion period is 12 months.
Investigators
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria
- •Colon or rectal cancer are highly suspected and a course of treatment at Department P, Aarhus University Hospital is expected to follow.
Exclusion Criteria
- •Do not speak and understand Danish sufficiently to fill out questionnaires (due to dementia, some foreigners etc.)
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Patient satisfaction with care pathways(questionnaire)
Time Frame: 8, 30 and 52 weeks after inclusion and randomization
Quality of Life measures(questionnaire)
Time Frame: 8, 30 and 52 weeks after inclusion and randomization
Secondary Outcomes
- Use of health care services during "the secondary care treatment period", i.e. GPs, emergency department, planned and emergency admission, total length of hospitalisation(12 (and 6) months from diagnosis)
- GPs' evaluations of continuity of care (questionnaire).(30 weeks after the patient's inclusion in the trial)
- Care process measures in terms of monitoring of data from the National Patient Registry(12 (and 6) months after diagnosis)