Values and Options in Cancer Care 2 (VOICE 2) A Randomized Pilot Study

Rutgers The State University of New Jersey

Status: Completed

Conditions: Communication, Multidisciplinary

Treatments: Behavioral: Interventional Survey

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05352451

132114

Pro2022000344 (Other Identifier)

Details and patient eligibility

About

Primary Objective:

Aim 1: To evaluate the acceptability and feasibility of recruitment strategies for subjects for VOICE 2 intervention.

Secondary Objective:

Aim 2: To test the preliminary efficacy of VOICE 2 on oncologist-patient, patient-caregiver, and oncologist-caregiver concordant prognostic understanding, oncologist-patient and oncologist-caregiver therapeutic alliance, patient/caregiver depression/anxiety and death anxiety, and patient/caregiver meaning/purpose.

Full description

The purpose of the research is to test whether the randomized recruitment of oncologist and their participants-caregivers dyads is feasible to improve communication and illness understanding in participants with advanced cancer and their caregivers. This study will be recruit oncologists first and randomize them to either control of intervention group. Participants and caregivers of the respective oncologists will be recruited and then assigned the same group.

The intervention group, a study team member will be meet with the caregiver for about one hour to review "Our Cancer Care" booklet and help the participant form questions that can be asked at the visit with the oncologist. This will be conducted in person or via secure video-conferencing program. There will be three follow up sessions where the study team member will ask the participants reflection of the prior conversation and the participants conversation with the oncologist and help formulate further questions or clarifications. These sessions should last about 20 minutes.

If assigned to the control group, the participant will receive "Our Cancer Care" booklet.

All participants participating in this study will, irrespective of the group assigned, will be asked to complete surveys about illness and the relationship with the oncology team at appropriate times during the study. A brief questionnaire about the understanding of the illness before and after receiving either the intervention or the booklet.

The time in the study is about one hour to complete each of the two set of surveys through an interview with the research staff, about five minutes to rate your illness understanding, and a total of about two hours for the four coaching sessions over a period lasting up to about ten weeks.

Enrollment: 29 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 21+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Participant of an oncologist participating in this study
• Received a diagnosis of hematologic cancer with disease progression following second-line treatment, OR a diagnosis of stage IV gastrointestinal, genitourinary, gynecologic, skin/soft tissue or thoracic/head and neck cancer
• Fluent in English or Spanish and prefer speaking English or Spanish when talking about health care
• 21 years or older;
• Have a primary informal caregiver (as defined by an unpaid individual who provides you with emotional, physical, and/or practical support) who is willing and able to participate in the study
• Able to communicate over the phone with the study team staff
• Willing to be audio-recorded for study-related communication

Exclusion criteria

• Test result on mental status do not meet the requirement for this study
• Receiving hospice care now

Trial design

Primary purpose: Supportive Care

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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29 participants in 2 patient groups

Intervention Arm - coaching sessions

Experimental group

Description:

Intervention group, will be asked to complete the surveys before and after attending coaching sessions. The two interviews each lasting for about one hour and will be done in-person or through video-conferencing meeting (depending on which is more convenient for you) with a study team member

Treatment:

Behavioral: Interventional Survey

Control Arm - interview

Active Comparator group

Description:

Will be asked to complete the same surveys at appropriate time after meeting with the research assistant. Be asked to complete brief questionnaire about the understanding of the illness. All individual interviews, patient and caregiver coaching, and caregiver support sessions will be audio recorded. The recorders are password protected and the audio files will be saved securely. Only authorized study team members can access the recordings to evaluate how well the answers to survey questions are logged and how well the coaching/support content is delivered by the study team member.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Interventional Survey