Lung Cancer Surgery: Decisions Against Life Saving Care - The Intervention

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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Purpose: Overall lung surgery rates and black/white disparities have not improved during a decade of documentation. The goal of this study is to incorporate lessons from the previous prospective cohort study to optimize lung cancer surgery rates and narrow black-white disparities for patients diagnosed with stage I or II, non-small cell lung cancer. Participants: Stage I and II, non-small cell lung cancer at 3 participating sites. Procedures: Phase I of the study has been completed. Phase I was a deidentified 3-year, retrospective chart review, used to establish the baseline surgical rates for the intervention. The patient enrollment phase of the study will move forward that will include use of a real time registry to follow patient progression through clinical follow up, diagnostic testing and treatment for biopsy proven or highly probable early stage, non-small cell lung cancer. The patient enrollment portion of the study will start, September 2012. All patients with Stage I or II non-small cell lung cancer who enroll in the study will be entered into real time registries at every site. Patients' progress through the registries including follow-up provider visits, diagnostic tests, and procedures will be transparent and any missed appointments will be flagged. Feedback will be given to lung cancer providers in both arms. The randomized trial will compare patients who receive usual care plus the registry to those who receive the registry plus visits and calls from a trained cancer communicator -educator (CCE) who is well versed in issues specific to lung cancer and trained in active listening and communication that accounts for patients' limitations in health literacy. The CCE will also use Kleinman's Patient Model to identify attitudes or beliefs that represent barriers to recommended care that could potentially be addressed through negotiation and more targeted communication. The hypothesis is that an electronic warning system, data transparency, and enhanced communication will optimize lung surgery rates and reduce racial gaps.

Detailed Description
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Note that the registry intervention will be compared to historical controls obtained from the electronic chart review. The main outcome will be receipt of lung resection surgery and this outcome will be assessed controlling for age, race, education, income, perceptions of communication, co-morbid illnesses, and level of health literacy.

Official Title
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Lung Cancer Surgery: Decisions Against Life Saving Care - The Intervention

Conditions
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Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

Intervention / Treatment
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* Other: communication intervention
* Other: Real Time Registry and data feedback only


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Age 21 years or greater; A probability of 60% or higher of a lung lesion being malignant as calculated by a Bayesian algorithm using clinical and radiographic characteristics or biopsy proven disease; and The patient has been clinically classified as having stage I or II disease. Exclusion Criteria: incarceration / ward of the state status, Severe cognitive impairment. If a patient meets the inclusion criteria but is consistently unable to comprehend survey questions during the interview process, we will exclude that patient from the overall study. absolute contraindications by pulmonary function testing (FEV-1 < 25% of predicted) Non-English speaking. Hispanic patients represent less than 4 percent of lung cancer patients in North Carolina restricting our ability to document an intervention effect.

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 21 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: Treatment
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Communication Intervention<br>Specially trained communicator addresses factual understanding and elicits other barriers to care | Other: communication intervention<br>* Because of the gaps between documented outcomes of lung cancer surgery and patient communication barriers identified in our recent work, our communication intervention will focus on improving presentation of risk information and confirmation of understanding of patient medical.<br>|
| Experimental: Real Time Registry and data feedback only<br>Patients are enrolled in registry and clinicians receive warnings about delayed or missed care. | Other: Real Time Registry and data feedback only<br>* This group of patients will not received the enhanced communication intervention<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Number of patients with stage I and II, non-small cell lung cancer who receive surgery. | The primary outcome variable, surgery yes or no, will be compared in the control group randomized to usual care, to the intervention group randomized to the cancer communicator. | Baseline to 4 months | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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non small cell lung cancer, health disparities