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Pathways to Advance Targeted and Helpful Serious Illness Conversations (PATH-SIC)

Not Applicable
Active, not recruiting
Conditions
Breast Cancer
Genitourinary Cancer
Thoracic Cancer
Gastrointestinal Cancer
Gynecologic Cancer
Interventions
Other: Clinician Nudge Email
Other: Patient Nudge Letter and Share questionaire
Registration Number
NCT05629065
Lead Sponsor
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to increase serious illness conversations (SICs) about patients goals and preferences regarding their healthcare between patients with cancer and their oncology clinicians and improved care provided near the end of life.

Detailed Description

The objective of this study is to implement an intervention in a pragmatic randomized controlled trial that uses cancer treatment pathways data to identify patients appropriate for serious illness conversations (SICs) and applies "nudges" to patients and their oncology clinicians to increase SICs and improve end of life (EOL) outcomes.

Identified participants and clinicians will be randomized into 1 or 4 groups.

* Nudge to patient and clinician

* Nudge to patient only

* Nudge to clinician only

* No nudge.

The expected enrollment is approximately 800 participants.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
800
Inclusion Criteria
  • Patients who are aged 18 years or older, reach one of the poor prognosis nodes identified and have an upcoming appointment at one of the following Dana Farber Cancer Institute oncology clinics (including Longwood and Chestnut Hill locations)
  • Breast Oncology Clinic
  • Gastrointestinal Oncology Clinic
  • Genitourinary Oncology Clinic
  • Gynecologic Oncology Clinic
  • Thoracic Oncology Clinic
Exclusion Criteria
  • Patients with an SIC documented in the Advance Care Planning module of the electronic health record in the 6 months prior to reaching a poor prognosis node
  • Patients who have previously been randomized in this trial (e.g., the patient is encountering a poor-prognosis node for the second time during the trial period)

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
FACTORIAL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Both patient and clinician receive a nudgePatient Nudge Letter and Share questionaire* Patient nudge consists of a letter and SHARE questionnaire * Clinician "nudge" email encouraging discussion to initiate discussion on SIC
Patient receives a nudge but not the clinicianPatient Nudge Letter and Share questionaire-Patient nudge consists of a letter and SHARE questionnaire
Clinician receives a nudge but not the patientClinician Nudge Email-Clinician "nudge" email encouraging discussion to initiate discussion on SIC
Both patient and clinician receive a nudgeClinician Nudge Email* Patient nudge consists of a letter and SHARE questionnaire * Clinician "nudge" email encouraging discussion to initiate discussion on SIC
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Proportion of patients with an SIC at 60 days for arm 1 (patient +clinician nudge) vs arm 2 (no nudge).up to 60 days after reaching the poor prognosis node

The numerator includes patients with any SIC documentation extracted from the Advanced Care Planning module between the date of the poor prognosis node and 60 days. The denominator is all patients randomized to the applicable study arm.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
ICU utilization in last 30 days of liferandomization up to 1 year

ICU hospitalization in the last 30 days of life, among decedents

Enrolled < 4 days in hospice at deathrandomization up to 1 year

Whether or not the patient was enrolled in hospice for less than 4 days on the day of death

Median length of hospitalizationrandomization up to 1 year

Median length of last hospitalization, in days among decedents

Death in the ICUrandomization up to 1 year

Whether or not death occurred in an ICU

Hospitalization in last 30 days of liferandomization up to 1 year

Hospitalization in the last 30 days of life, among decedents

Death in an acute care facilityrandomization up to 1 year

Presence or absence of death in an acute care facility like a hospital or emergency room

Hospice enrollment at deathrandomization up to 1 year

Whether or not the patient was enrolled in hospice on the day of death

Proportion of patients with an SIC at 60 days, comparison of all 4 study armsup to 60 days after reaching the poor prognosis node

Same as the primary outcome

Time from SIC to death among decedentsrandomization up to 1 year

Time from SIC to death among decedents

ED visits in the last 30 days of liferandomization up to 1 year

Number of ED visits in the last 30 days of life, among decedents

Receipt of chemotherapy in last 14 days of liferandomization up to 1 year

Whether or not the patient received chemotherapy in the last 14 days of life, among decedents

Patient preferencesUp to 60 days after randomization

Patient responses on SHARE questionnaire

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Dana Farber Cancer Institute

🇺🇸

Boston, Massachusetts, United States

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