Helping parents make informed decisions for extremely premature babies

Promoting Shared Decision Making in Periviable Care: A randomized controlled trial of the Periviable GOALS Decision Support Tool

NIH-funded research Indiana University Indianapolis · NIH-10916340

This study is all about helping parents of very premature babies, born between 22 and 24 weeks, make tough decisions by creating a helpful tool that guides conversations with doctors about the best care options, so families can feel more supported and informed during this difficult time.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionIndiana University Indianapolis NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Indianapolis, United States)
Project IDNIH-10916340 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

This research focuses on improving the decision-making process for parents of periviable neonates, who are born between 22 and 24 weeks of gestation. It aims to develop and test a decision support tool that facilitates shared decision making between healthcare providers and families, ensuring that parents receive accurate information about the risks and benefits of resuscitation versus palliative care. By engaging parents in discussions about their values and goals, the research seeks to reduce decisional conflict and improve mental health outcomes for families facing these challenging choices.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates for this research are parents of periviable neonates, particularly those facing decisions about resuscitation or palliative care.

Not a fit: Patients who are not expecting a periviable birth or those whose infants are not in the specified gestational age range may not benefit from this research.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this research could empower parents with better information and support, leading to more informed and satisfactory decisions regarding the care of their extremely premature infants.

How similar studies have performed: Previous research has shown that shared decision-making approaches can improve decision quality and parental satisfaction in similar high-stakes medical situations.

Where this research is happening

Indianapolis, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.