Please select the eligibility criteria that correspond to the clinical trial below.
Title: Goals of Care Communication in Advanced Heart Failure
Brief Summary: This study proposes to evaluate, among adults with advanced heart failure (HF) and their health care providers, the effects of a communication intervention designed to improve patient-provider communication about goals of care (GoC). Patient activated GoC conversations can result in providers' better understanding their patients' preferences for end-of-life care. GoC conversations that occur over time may allow patients and providers to consider a wider range of options earlier in the HF illness trajectory. Preliminary data suggests that the proposed GoC intervention increases the occurrence and quality of patient-provider communication about end-of-life care for advanced COPD. The proposed study will test the effects of the GoC intervention compared to usual care, using a randomized, 2-group (N = 80, n = 40/arm), repeated-measures design. Measures will be taken at a patient's baseline study entry and after the next scheduled clinic visit. Specific Aim 1 is to evaluate change in number of GoC conversations between patient and provider between the two groups. Specific Aim 2 is to examine whether the intervention increases patient quality of life, referrals to palliative care, advance care planning, decreases depression and anxiety. Specific Aim 3 is to describe the feasibility, acceptability, perceived benefits, burden, and implementation success of the intervention in the heart failure clinic setting. Patients will be randomized to the GoC intervention or to receive usual care. Patients in the GoC intervention group, telephone coaching by a research nurse to help patients role-play talking with their HF providers. Both patients and their providers, will be provided with summaries of individualized, patient-centered information about patient preferences for communicating about end-of-life care and patient self-identified barriers to and facilitators of communication about end-of-life care with tips on how to initiate goals of care discussions. Providers of patients in the intervention group will also be provided with patient-specific prognostic information based on the Seattle Heart Failure Model. The GoC intervention will be tested in a real-world clinic setting. This intervention is expected to be relatively cost-effective and easily translated into general cardiology practice in the future. The study is expected to make significant contributions to provision of earlier access to palliative care in the advanced HF disease trajectory.


Options:
A: Inclusion criteria:

1. Diagnosis of HF from either systolic or diastolic dysfunction, with an ejection fraction of ≤ 40%
2. Completion of an outpatient HF visit within the past 6 months
3. Ability to read, write, and speak in English

Exclusion criteria:

1. Short BLESSED cognitive score \> 10 to rule out significant cognitive impairment;82
2. Diagnosis of any additional terminal illness with life expectancy of ≤ 1 year not related to heart disease
3. Psychiatric illness that required hospitalization in the past year; and (4) age less than 18 years
B: Inclusion Criteria:

* Adult patients who have advanced heart failure and are being evaluated for DT LVAD
* Caregivers of patients who are being evaluated for DT LVAD

Exclusion Criteria:

* Under 18 years of age
* Non-English Speaking
* Unable to consent
* Prisoner
* Already implanted with DT LVAD
C: Inclusion Criteria:

1. Able to read and understand English
2. NYHF III/IV heart failure (physician-determined)

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Dementia or significant confusion (Callahan 6-Item Cognitive Screening score ≤ 3)
2. DSM-IV Axis I diagnosis (e.g. schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or active substance use disorder)
3. Patients will not be excluded if they do not identify a caregiver
4. Uncorrectable hearing loss.
D: Inclusion Criteria:

Patient participant:

* Patients must be 21 years old or older and must be diagnosed with advanced heart failure (New York Heart Association Class III and IV). Patients must be aware of their diagnosis
* Caregiver/Decision-maker participant: Subject must be 21 years old or older Participant must be either

  * appointed substitute decision maker or
  * most likely to be substitute decision maker for patient (if patient were to lose decision-making capacity)

Exclusion Criteria:

* Patient participant: Patients must not have any psychiatric or cognitive disorders
* Caregiver/Decision-maker participant: Cannot be a maid or foreign domestic worker

Answer: A