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

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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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.

Detailed Description
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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.

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

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

Intervention / Treatment
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* Other: informational intervention
* Other: medical chart review
* Other: questionnaire administration
* Procedure: assessment of therapy complications
* Procedure: management of therapy complications


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Confirmed diagnosis of cancer Admitted to one of the two oncology units at Northwestern Memorial Hospital either for treatment of cancer or treatment-related complications Complications include, but are not limited to, any of the following: Febrile neutropenia Infection Esophagitis from radiochemotherapy Malnutrition Spinal cord compression Bone pain secondary to metastatic bone disease Thrombocytopenia PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Able to read and understand English PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: See Disease Characteristics

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: Health Services Research
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Intervention/Treatment |
| --- |
|Other: informational intervention|nan|
|Other: medical chart review|nan|
|Other: questionnaire administration|nan|
|Procedure: assessment of therapy complications|nan|
|Procedure: management of therapy complications|nan|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Patient needs detected |  |  | 
| Concordance among patient, caregiver, and team goals |  |  | 
| Qualitative and quantitative evaluation of palliative care services provided |  |  | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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neutropenia, infection, radiation toxicity, chemotherapeutic agent toxicity, malnutrition, musculoskeletal complications, thrombocytopenia, unspecified adult solid tumor, protocol specific