Starlight Therapy in Palliative Care

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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Starlight Therapy™ has been shown to help alleviate end-of-life symptoms in Palliative Care patients and reduce the need for PRN or as needed medications. This study will investigate the efficacy of this intervention on the symptom of anxiety using a mixed-method analysis. The primary investigator hypothesizes that any anti-anxiolytic effects could be caused by the Intrinsically Photosensitive Retinal Ganglion Cell neural pathway to the amygdala.

Detailed Description
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Starlight Therapy has been shown (see citation) to help alleviate end-of-life symptoms in Palliative Care patients and reduce the need for PRN or as needed medications. This study will investigate the efficacy of this intervention using a mixed-method analysis. Starlight Therapy will be offered to patients with unpleasant end-of-life symptoms such as dyspnea, agitation, anxiety, restlessness and insomnia. The effect the Starlight Therapy has in helping alleviate these symptoms will be measured using the ESAS (Edmonton Symptom Assessment System) questionnaire at baseline and following a predetermined period of time of Starlight Therapy. 10 Starlight Projectors have been purchased for the unit where the study will take place: the Inpatient Palliative Care Unit 7A, Victoria General Hospital, Centennial Building. The funding was acquired by a Comfort & Care Grant from the QEII Foundation. The results will be compiled and analyzed in a research paper Concerning the Efficacy and Underlying Mechanism of Starlight Therapy as a Non-Pharmacological Nursing Intervention for Palliative Care Patients.

Official Title
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Starlight Therapy as a Non-Pharmacological Nursing Intervention in Palliative Care

Conditions
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Symptom Management

Intervention / Treatment
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* Other: Starlight Therapy


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: 1. ESAS indicates at least one of the following symptoms: Insomnia Anxiety Restlessness Dyspnea Pain Exclusion Criteria: Clinical Diagnosis of blindness ESAS does not include any of the flowing symptoms: Insomnia Anxiety Restlessness Dyspnea Pain
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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Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Palliative Care Patients<br>Palliative care Patients meeting criteria will receive Starlight Therapy | Other: Starlight Therapy<br>* Starlight Projector will be placed in patients' rooms and project starlight on the ceilings and walls in an effort to reduce unpleasant symptoms<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Using Starlight Therapy to measure Change in Unpleasant Symptoms in Palliative Care Patients as measured using the ESAS (Edmonton Symptom Assessment System) Scale. On a scale of 0-10, with 0 = no symptom and 10= symptom is worst outcome possible. | Edmonton Assessment scale questionnaire will be completed before Starlight Therapy and after 2 hours. | 2 hours of Starlight Therapy | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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palliative, starlight, end-of-life symptoms, non-pharmacological