Trial Information

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

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.