Helping people with Alzheimer's and their families have goals-of-care conversations
Hybrid efficacy-effectiveness trial to promote goals-of-care discussions for patients with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias and their family caregivers
This project uses electronic health record prompts and a communication tool called Jumpstart to help people with Alzheimer's disease or related dementias and their family caregivers have timely, higher-quality goals-of-care conversations during outpatient visits.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Washington NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Seattle, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11179282 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You may be identified through your clinic's electronic health record as someone living with Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia and invited to join with a family caregiver. The Jumpstart intervention gives clinicians and families communication prompts to prime and guide goals-of-care conversations during outpatient visits, and this approach is compared with usual care. The team will track how often these conversations happen, the quality of the discussions, and effects on patient and family outcomes. The project is run through University of Washington outpatient clinics and follows participants over time.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults (21+) with Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia who receive outpatient care and their family caregivers are the intended participants.
Not a fit: People without Alzheimer's or related dementias, those not receiving outpatient care within the participating health system, or those who have already completed goals-of-care planning may not benefit from this intervention.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help ensure care better matches patients' values and reduce unwanted or burdensome treatments near the end of life.
How similar studies have performed: Previous research shows goals-of-care conversations can improve outcomes and some communication-priming programs helped, but using the electronic health record to systematically prompt these discussions is less well tested.
Where this research is happening
Seattle, United States
- University of Washington — Seattle, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kross, Erin Kathryn — University of Washington
- Study coordinator: Kross, Erin Kathryn
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.