Geriatric Assessment Reporting in Real Time (GARRT) in Non-electively Hospitalized Older Cancer Patients

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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This study prospectively evaluates the impact of geriatric assessment reporting in real-time (GARRT) on key hospital based outcomes in a cohort of non-electively hospitalized older (> 70 years) adults with cancer.

Detailed Description
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This study evaluates the impact of geriatric assessment reporting in real-time (GARRT) on key hospital based outcomes in non-electively hospitalized older (> 70 years) adults with cancer. Participants will be randomly assigned to the GARRT group, or the control group. All participants will fill out user friendly questionnaire called the geriatric assessment. The results of the geriatric assessment will be given to the physicians of participants in the GARRT group in real-time. The physicians of participants in the control group will not receive real time results. This study will compare the referral rates of participants in each group to determine if providing real-time results of the geriatric assessment impact referral rates.

Official Title
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Geriatric Assessment Reporting in Real Time (GARRT) in Non-electively Hospitalized Older Cancer Patients

Conditions
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Oncology

Intervention / Treatment
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* Other: Results of the brief geriatric assessment
* Other: No results of brief geriatric assessments


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Age 70 years or older. English speaking. Admitted to UNC Hospitals non-electively within 72 hours. Biopsy proven solid tumor or myeloma or lymphoma. Newly diagnosed cancer patients for whom active cancer directed therapy is planned within the next six months or patients on active cancer directed therapy either currently or within the previous 6 months. Signed written IRB-approved informed consent. Exclusion Criteria: Patients meeting any of the following exclusion criteria at baseline will be excluded from study participation. Patients with a life expectancy <6 weeks Patients who are <48 hours post-surgery. Patients who are admitted to an intensive care setting. Patients with acute myeloma lymphoma (AML) or other high grade hematologic malignancies. Patients undergoing bone marrow transplant or admitted to the bone marrow transplant unit.

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 70 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Interventional Model Description: This is an un-blinded, 2-arm randomized control trial of a brief, user friendly GA report in real time which summarizes GA-identified deficits and includes recommendations for evidence informed multidisciplinary interventions to address these deficits.
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: GARRT Arm<br>Participants in this arm complete an brief geriatric assessment, and the results of these assessments are given to providers with recommendations to address deficits identified by the geriatric assessment | Other: Results of the brief geriatric assessment<br>* Providers will receive results of the brief geriatric assessment with recommendations for address deficits identified through the results of the brief geriatric assessment<br>|
| Active Comparator: Control Arm<br>Providers of participants of this group will not receive the results of the brief geriatric assessments. These participants will receive standard of care treatment | Other: No results of brief geriatric assessments<br>* Providers will not receive results of the brief geriatric assessment. Participants will receive standard of care treatment<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Referral rate for GA-identified deficits in intervention and control groups | Number of participants with at least one referral for a GA-idenfied deficit | 2 years | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Referral to Physical and Occupational therapy | Number of times physical and occupation therapy referral was given in Intervention and Control group | 2 years | 
| Referral to Geriatic Consultation | Number of times a Geriatric Consultation referral was given in Intervention and Control group | 2 years | 
| Referral to Clinical Pharmacist | Number of times Clinical Pharmacist referral was given in Intervention and Control group | 2 years | 
| Referral to Nutritionist | Number of times Nutritionist referral was given in Intervention and Control group | 2 years | 
| Referral to psyhcosocial support team | Number of times psychosocial support referral was given in Intervention and Control group | 2 years | 
| Physician Reported New information | Number of times physicians answer yes to the questions did report provide new information about patient deficits that would warrant a referral | 2 years | 
| Physician Reported Satisfaction | Number of times physician indicate yes report was helpful when asked Is this report useful | 2 years |