Video guides to help parents discuss care goals for children with cancer
Video Inspired Discussions about Ethical Outcomes in Pediatrics (VIDEO-PEDS)
Short, theory-based videos in English and Spanish will help parents of children with advanced cancer have clearer conversations with clinicians about their child's care preferences.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Dartmouth-Hitchcock Clinic NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Lebanon, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11195030 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If your child has advanced cancer, the team will offer short, family-friendly videos to help you and clinicians talk about goals of care earlier and more clearly. The project uses these videos with parents and analyzes how conversations change, using language-processing tools to measure communication and preparedness. The work focuses on making sure care matches family values and aims to reduce unwanted intensive hospital care at the end of life, with attention to racial/ethnic and rural disparities. The research builds on adult decision aids and adapts them specifically for parents of young children.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Parents or primary caregivers of children with advanced or terminal cancer, especially English- or Spanish-speaking families, are the ideal candidates for these video-based discussions.
Not a fit: Families of children not facing advanced cancer, caregivers who do not speak English or Spanish, or those who prefer not to use videos may not benefit from this specific intervention.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: This could help parents feel more prepared, improve communication with clinicians, and increase the chance that a child's care matches family wishes.
How similar studies have performed: Related video decision aids have shown benefit in adults and prior work using natural language processing is promising, while pediatric adaptation is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
Lebanon, United States
- Dartmouth-Hitchcock Clinic — Lebanon, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Volandes, Angelo — Dartmouth-Hitchcock Clinic
- Study coordinator: Volandes, Angelo
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.