Web program to help people with advanced cancer and their caregivers talk about future medical wishes

Facilitating Advance Care Planning Discussions Between Patients with Advanced Cancer and Their Family Caregivers Using a Resilience-Building Intervention

['FUNDING_OTHER'] · UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO · NIH-11411651

This project tries a web-based resilience program to help adults with advanced cancer and their family caregivers talk about future care and complete advance directives.

Quick facts

Phase['FUNDING_OTHER']
Study typeNih_funding
SexAll
SponsorUNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO (nih funded)
Locations1 site (Chicago, UNITED STATES)
Trial IDNIH-11411651 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this research studies

If I have advanced cancer, this study offers an online program my caregiver and I can use to build coping skills and prepare for conversations about future medical care. The program is based on interviews, positive psychology, and dyadic intervention design, and it delivers web modules that teach resilience and communication strategies. Researchers will recruit patients and their family caregivers, collect online surveys and interviews, and look at whether the program is practical to use and helps people complete advance care planning. The team will use the pilot data to refine the program and measure early signs of reduced distress and better caregiver coping.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Adults (21+) with advanced cancer who have a family caregiver and can use an online program are the ideal candidates.

Not a fit: People without a willing caregiver, without reliable internet access, with severe cognitive impairment, or who do not meet the advanced-cancer criteria may not benefit from this program.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: It could help patients and caregivers have clearer conversations about goals, complete advance directives, and reduce caregiver anxiety so care better matches patient wishes.

How similar studies have performed: Prior resilience-based interventions have shown promise in lowering distress for cancer patients and caregivers, but web-based dyadic approaches focused specifically on advance care planning are relatively new.

Where this research is happening

Chicago, 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.

View on NIH RePORTER →

Conditions: Advanced Cancer, Cancer Center, Cancers

Last reviewed 2026-05-15 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.