Using Whole-Person-Care Guide in Patients Receiving Care for Cancer or Complications From Cancer Treatment

Unspecified Adult Solid Tumor, Protocol Specific Clinical Trial

Official title: Developing a Nested Whole-Person-Care Guide: Screening and Evaluation Steps (American Cancer Society) ACS

Status Completed

Clinical Trial Summary

RATIONALE: Gathering information about patients with cancer and cancer-related conditions may help doctors learn more about a patient's needs and help doctors plan the best treatment.

PURPOSE: This clinical trial is studying how well a whole-person-care guide works in identifying patient needs in patients with cancer or complications from cancer treatment.

Clinical Trial Description

OBJECTIVES:

• To determine what patient needs are detected from NEST13+ interviews of cancer patients and their caregivers.

• To determine the concordance among patient, caregiver, and team goals.

• To determine palliative care services provided.

OUTLINE: Participants are assigned sequentially to 1 of 2 intervention groups.

• Group 1 (NEST13+): Patients and caregivers undergo NEST13+ interviews at the time of admission to Northwestern Memorial Hospital (caregivers answer the NEST13+ interviews from the patient's perspective). A NEST13+ care plan is then derived from both patient and caregiver responses. Research MD or RN presents patient's NEST13+ findings and recommended interventions for integration with actual care. On the day of discharge, patients and caregivers undergo a second NEST13+ interview.

• Group 2 (control): Patients and caregivers undergo a sham interview at the time of admission to Northwestern Memorial Hospital. On the day of discharge, patients and caregivers undergo a NEST13+ interview as in group 1.

Medical charts for all patients are reviewed by a member of the research staff to document needs assessments in domains covered by NEST and to document palliative care-related decisions. Abstracted chart review by blinded experts is also performed to evaluate palliative care quality based on National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 500 patients and 250 caregivers will be accrued for this study. ;

Study Design

Masking: Open Label, Primary Purpose: Health Services Research

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Chemotherapeutic Agent Toxicity
• Infection
• Malnutrition
• Musculoskeletal Complications
• Neutropenia
• Radiation Injuries
• Radiation Toxicity
• Thrombocytopenia
• Thrombocytosis
• Unspecified Adult Solid Tumor, Protocol Specific

• NCT number: NCT00608738
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: Northwestern University
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: July 2001
• Completion date: January 2005