Building CAPACITI for Community-Based Palliative Care

McMaster University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Palliative Care

Treatments: Behavioral: Facilitated online webinars; Other: Online educational materials

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05120154

13867

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this cluster randomized controlled trial is to assess the efficacy of a quality improvement intervention called CAPACITI intended to increase competency among primary care teams to deliver early palliative care. CAPACITI is palliative care training and coaching program for primary care teams, comprised of three, two-month (4 session) modules, each addressing a critical component of implementing a palliative care approach into primary care practice.

Full description

Improving access to home-based palliative care can improve patient and system outcomes; however, there is a lack of programs to build capacity among primary care teams to deliver this care. To address this gap, the investigators are offering a quality improvement intervention called CAPACITI. CAPACITI is palliative care training and coaching program for primary care teams, comprised of three, two-month (4 session) modules. Each module addresses a critical component of implementing a PC approach into primary care practice: (1) Identify and Assess; (2) Enhance Communication Skills; (3) Enhance Skills for Ongoing Care (including involvement of family and specialists). Over bi-monthly (one hour) sessions, each CAPACITI module uniquely integrates 3 components: clinical education in the form of expert advice and tips; evidence-based tools; and high-facilitation and expert coaching for adaptation to local context. The study will offer the CAPACITI modules to primary care teams across Canada. Teams that register for a module will be randomized to one of two arms: 1) facilitated learning where the module materials are covered in live webinars, and 2) non-facilitated learning where teams have access to all module materials to use a self-directed approach. The online materials for both study arms will be provided on a learning management system. The investigators will examine the difference between the facilitated and nonfacilitated approaches in teams' abilities to provide a palliative care approach in relation to the content of the module. Ultimately this research program will strengthen the primary care system and increase access to home-based palliative care for patients across Canada.

Enrollment: 566 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Each team must be comprised of primary care providers, defined as having a minimum of at least 1 of the following: family physician, nurse practitioner, or nurse and practice coordinator (including manager or administrator) that provides primary care. Teams can be a single provider. Teams can also have other team members (e.g. social worker, pharmacist, etc.).
• Each team must be community-based and willing to provide palliative care, defined as managing symptoms, addressing psychosocial needs, educating patients and families, and coordinating care.

Exclusion criteria

• Not community-based
• Not willing to provide palliative care
• Outside of Canada

Trial design

Primary purpose: Health Services Research

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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566 participants in 2 patient groups

Intervention

Experimental group

Description:

Access to all the CAPACITI module materials, provided on a learning management system. The intervention group will also receive the CAPACITI program with module facilitation, namely high-facilitation and expert coaching in the coverage of module materials in four live webinars (bimonthly for the 2 month duration of the module = 4 webinars).

Treatment:

Other: Online educational materials

Behavioral: Facilitated online webinars

Control

Active Comparator group

Description:

Access to all the CAPACITI module materials, provided on a learning management system. The control group will not receive module facilitation (i.e., will entail self-directed learning).

Treatment:

Other: Online educational materials