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Web-based Collaborative Care Intervention Study

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Depression
Pain
Cancer
Fatigue
Interventions
Behavioral: Enhanced Usual Care
Behavioral: Stepped collaborative care intervention
Registration Number
NCT02939755
Lead Sponsor
University of Pittsburgh
Brief Summary

To test the efficacy of a web-based stepped collaborative care intervention to reduce symptoms of depression, pain, and fatigue and improve health-related quality of life (HRQL) in advanced cancer patients and to reduce stress and depression, and fewer CVD risk factors in caregivers.

Detailed Description

The investigators will enroll patients at two UPMC sites: Montefiore Hospital, an academic medical center, and Passavant Hospital, a community based hospital. Based on our sample size estimate the investigators will have at least 364 patients and caregivers with complete data at 12 months follow up.

The patient and caregiver will be randomly assigned to one of two arms (intervention versus enhanced usual care) stratified by gender and vessel invasion. Because these factors are the two most robust prognostic factors in this patient population. At 6 and 12 months after enrollment, follow-up questionnaires and blood draws will be performed for patients and caregivers.

The stepped WBCC intervention includes at least biweekly contact from a care coordinator by phone and face to face visits occurring approximately every 2 months, and 24 hour 7 day a week access to a website. Patients randomized to the "enhanced usual care" arm receive their usual care from their medical team. However, if the patient scores in the clinical range on one or more of the three symptoms s/he will receive education about the symptom and be referred to the appropriate health care provider for further treatment in their community. The care coordinator will follow up with the patient after 3 weeks to assess barriers to treatment and assist further with accessing treatment if needed.

Intervention fidelity (e.g., consistency across care coordinators) will be reduced by requiring the care coordinators to follow a 300 page manual and providing standardized training by the PI who is a clinical psychologist. Dr. Steel (PI) has received training and certification from the American Psycho-Oncology Society in the design and analysis of psycho-oncology clinical trials and intervention fidelity. The study investigators will not prescribe any medications but rather make recommendations to the patient's oncologist, PCP, psychiatrist, or pain management specialist who will be free to accept or reject the recommendations by the study team. Medication type, dosage, and adherence to medication (e.g., self-report and pharmacy refills) will be recorded for patients in the WBCC intervention and enhanced usual care arms.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
459
Inclusion Criteria

Patients:

  • biopsy and/or radiograph proven diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma,cholangiocarcinoma, gallbladder carcinoma or breast, ovarian, or colorectal cancer with liver metastases with a life expectancy of at least one year;
  • age >21 years;
  • no evidence of thought disorder, delusions, or active suicidal ideation is observed or reported.

Caregivers:

  • a spouse or cohabitating intimate partner of an advanced cancer patient being evaluated at the UPMC's Liver Cancer Center and
  • age >21 years
Exclusion Criteria

Patients:

  • age < 21 years,
  • lack of fluency in English,
  • evidence of thought disorder, delusions, hallucinations, or suicidal ideation.

Caregivers:

  • lack of fluency in English; and
  • evidence of thought disorder, delusions, hallucinations, or suicidal ideation.

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Enhanced Usual CareEnhanced Usual CarePatients randomized to the 'Enhanced Usual Care' arm receive their usual care from their medical team. However, if the patient scores in the clinical range on one or more of the three symptoms s/he will receive education about the symptom and be referred to the appropriate health care provider for further treatment in their community. The care coordinator will follow up with the patient after 3 weeks to assess barriers to treatment and assist further with accessing treatment if needed.
Stepped collaborative care interventionStepped collaborative care interventionThe 'Stepped Collaborative Care Intervention' includes at least biweekly contact from a care coordinator by phone and face to face visits occurring approximately every 2 months, and 24 hour 7 day a week access to a website that was specifically designed during the pilot study for advanced cancer patients from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Quality of life (QoL)change from baseline at 6 and 12 months

Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy - General (FACT-G) questionnaire

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
serum Alpha feta protein (u/ml)change from baseline at 6 months and 12 months

Blood sample collection and process

Caregivers' stresschange from baseline at 6 and 12 months

Caregiver Quality of Life Scale- Cancer, Perceived Stress Scale

Caregiver's serum Interleukin-6change from baseline at 6 and 12 months

Blood sample collection and process

serum Interleukin (IL)-6,(mg/L)change from baseline at 6 months and 12 months

Blood sample collection and process

Caregiver's blood pressurechange from baseline at 6 and 12 months

Blood pressure readings

serum Cancer Antigen 19-9 (u/ml)change from baseline at 6 months and 12 months

Blood sample collection and process

dyadic adjustmentchange from baseline at 6 and 12 months

Dyadic Adjustment Scale

Caregiver's Body Mass Indexchange from baseline at 6 and 12 months

Caregiver's height and weight calculations in inches and pounds using BMI calculator

serum Interleukin IL-1beta,(mg/L)change from baseline at 6 and 12 months

cytokine

serum Tumor necrosis factor-alpha ((mg/L)change from baseline at 6 and 12 months

cytokine

serum Inteferon-gamma ((mg/L)change from baseline at 6 and 12 months

cytokine

serum carcinoembryonic antigen (u/ml)change from baseline at 6 months and 12 months

Blood sample collection and process

Caregivers' depressionchange from baseline at 6 and 12 months

Center for Epidemiological Studies- Depression

Depressionchange from baseline at 6 and 12 months

Center for Epidemiological Studies- Depression

Caregiver's metabolic syndromechange from baseline at 6 and 12 months

The caregiver meets or does not meet the American Heart Association criteria for metabolic syndrome

Fatiguechange from baseline at 6 and 12 months

Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy -fatigue

Pain levelchange from baseline at 6 and 12 months

Brief Pain Inventory

Trial Locations

Locations (7)

The University of Pittsburgh's Medical Center Passavant Hospital

🇺🇸

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States

UPMC St. Margaret

🇺🇸

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States

UPMC East

🇺🇸

Monroeville, Pennsylvania, United States

University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Mercy

🇺🇸

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States

UPMC Presbyterian

🇺🇸

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States

University of Pittsburgh's Medical Center Montefiore Hospital

🇺🇸

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States

UPMC Horizen

🇺🇸

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States

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