Helping patients with lung disease make informed care decisions

Improving shared decision making in lung disease

NIH-funded research University of Pennsylvania · NIH-11164507

This project helps patients with severe lung disease and their families make important healthcare choices that match their personal values and goals.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionUniversity of Pennsylvania NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Philadelphia, United States)
Project IDNIH-11164507 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

Patients facing serious illnesses often have inaccurate ideas about their future health, which can make it difficult to choose treatments that truly reflect what they want. This is especially true for people with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), an incurable lung condition, who often don't use advance care planning or palliative care. This project aims to understand why patients with COPD might have overly optimistic expectations and how that affects their quality of life. Researchers will work with 420 patients with severe COPD and their family caregivers to develop new ways to help them make decisions that align with their personal values. The goal is to improve their well-being by ensuring their care choices truly reflect what matters most to them.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates are patients with severe Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and their family caregivers.

Not a fit: Patients without severe COPD or those not involved in making complex care decisions for serious illness may not directly benefit from this specific approach.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help patients with severe COPD and their caregivers make healthcare decisions that better align with their personal values, leading to improved well-being and quality of life.

How similar studies have performed: This work proposes a novel application of behavioral theories and methodologies to address goal-discordant care in COPD, building on preliminary work showing a link between optimistic expectations and quality of life.

Where this research is happening

Philadelphia, 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.
Conditions Affective Disorders
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.