The purpose of this study is to use a proactive approach to improve symptom management of patients with thoracic malignancies and ensure receipt of evidence-based cancer care delivery. In this pilot study, the investigators propose to evaluate the feasibility of using outbound, proactive telephone symptom assessment strategies and ensuring evidence-based care receipt and measure the efficacy of this approach on patient satisfaction with their care, patient activation, quality of life and use of healthcare resources.
The investigators have previously shown in previous work that patients and caregivers who experience thoracic malignancies express poor symptom management that result in utilization of healthcare resources after-hours for symptoms that could have been prevented if assessed more proactively and prospectively. Currently, there are limited proactive approaches to prospectively identify and intervene on patient-reported symptoms. The purpose of this study is to enhance symptom assessment strategies by using a proactive assessment approach to improve symptom relief for patients with thoracic malignancies. The investigators will test whether a proactive telephone symptom assessment and management strategy is feasible and can facilitate early patient report of their symptoms and intervention. The knowledge gained from this approach will be used to identify solutions that can be scaled nationally to improve patient-reported symptom management and patient satisfaction with their clinical care.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
DOUBLE
Enrollment
60
Each patient who is enrolled in the intervention will receive a weekly phone call from the Research Assistant for a total of 9 months to assess symptoms using the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale. Results of the symptom assessments will be provided to the clinic staff (RN and MD) for review each week. Care plans will be generated using an electronic management platform
VA Palo Alto Health Care System
Palo Alto, California, United States
Symptom documentation
Defined as 75% documentation of symptoms for patients in the intervention arm
Time frame: 6 months after patient enrollment
Emergency Department Visit (Chart Review)
Emergency Department visits for each patient will be abstracted by electronic medical record for each patient at 9 months
Time frame: 9 months after patient enrollment
Hospitalizations (Chart Review)
Hospitalizations for each patient will be abstracted by electronic medical record for each patient at 9 months
Time frame: 9 months after patient enrollment
Change in Quality of Life using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy - Lung survey
Each patient will receive a validated survey to assess quality of life at baseline and 3 months
Time frame: Change in Quality of Life from baseline to month 3
Change in Quality of Life using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy - Lung survey
Each patient will receive a validated survey to assess quality of life at baseline and 6 months
Time frame: Change in Quality of Life from baseline to month 6
Change in Quality of Life using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy - Lung survey
Each patient will receive a validated survey to assess quality of life at baseline and 9 months
Time frame: Change in Quality of Life from baseline to month 9
Change in patient satisfaction with decision-making using the Satisfaction with Decision Survey
Each patient will receive a validated survey to assess their satisfaction with decision at baseline and 3 months
Time frame: Change in patient satisfaction with decision--making from baseline to 3 months
Change in patient satisfaction with decision-making using the Satisfaction with Decision Survey
Each patient will receive a validated survey to assess their satisfaction with decision at baseline and 6 months
Time frame: Change in patient satisfaction with decision--making from baseline to 6 months
Change in patient satisfaction with decision-making using the Satisfaction with Decision Survey
Each patient will receive a validated survey to assess their satisfaction with decision at baseline and 9 months
Time frame: Change in patient satisfaction with decision--making from baseline to 9 months
Change in Patient Activation using the validated Patient Activation Measure
Each patient will receive a validated survey to assess their activation at baseline and 3 months
Time frame: Change in patient activation from baseline to 3 months
Change in Patient Activation using the validated Patient Activation Measure
Each patient will receive a validated survey to assess their activation at baseline and 6 months
Time frame: Change in patient activation from baseline to 6 months
Change in Patient Activation using the validated Patient Activation Measure
Each patient will receive a validated survey to assess their activation at baseline and 9 months
Time frame: Change in patient activation from baseline to 9 months
Change in symptoms using the validated Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale
Each patient will receive a validated survey to assess their symptoms at baseline and 3 months
Time frame: Change in symptoms from baseline to 3 months
Change in symptoms using the validated Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale
Each patient will receive a validated survey to assess their symptoms at baseline and 6 months
Time frame: Change in symptoms from baseline to 6 months
Change in symptoms using the validated Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale
Each patient will receive a validated survey to assess their symptoms at baseline and 9 months
Time frame: Change in symptoms from baseline to 9 months
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