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N/A N=266 Randomized Single-blind Health Services Research

Behavioral Nudges to Improve Palliative Care Utilization in Advanced Cancer

Cancer

Enrolled (actual)
266
Serious AEs
0.0%
Results posted
Feb 2025
Primary outcome: Primary: Completion of Palliative Care Visit — 11; 19 Participants

Study Design & Population

Study type
Interventional
Phase
N/A
Interventions
Default Nudge (Other)
Age
Adult, Older Adult · 18+ yrs
Sex
All
Sponsor
Abramson Cancer Center at Penn Medicine
Primary completion
Feb 2023

Outcome Measures

OutcomeResultp-value
PRIMARY
Completion of Palliative Care Visit
11; 19

Summary

Patients with cancer often undergo costly therapy and acute care utilization that is discordant with their wishes, particularly at the end of life. Despite early palliative care consultations being a National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guideline-concordant practice in advanced cancer, palliative care referral rates for stage IV patients are low. In this project, the investigators will evaluate a health system initiative that uses behavioral nudges to prompt palliative care referrals among outpatients with advanced cancer in terms of successful palliative care referrals and downstream quality of life outcomes. In partnership with the health system, this will be conducted as a 2-arm pragmatic cluster randomized trial.

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

  • Have a functional telephone number
  • Receive ongoing care from hematology/oncology services within the Ann B. Barshinger Cancer Institute (ABBCI) at Lancaster General Health.

Exclusion Criteria

  • Patients appearing for a new patient visit
  • Patients who have previously received palliative care
  • Patients who are enrolled in an ongoing clinical trial of a therapeutic agent
  • Patients who receive primary oncologic care within another institution
View full record on ClinicalTrials.gov →

Data sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05365997). Outcome figures and adverse-event rates are extracted automatically from the registry's posted results and are provided for clinician reference, not as a substitute for the primary publication.

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