My Care My Voice: helping patients and clinicians start palliative care conversations
Implementation and Evaluation of "My Care My Voice": a Program Aimed at Facilitating Conversations About Topics Such as Palliative Care
This program tries to help oncologists, hospital staff, and adults with advanced cancer start timely palliative care conversations using brief materials and simple workflow changes in three Belgian hospitals.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 271 (estimated) |
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | University Hospital, Ghent Academic / other |
| Drugs / interventions | radiation |
| Locations | 4 sites (Aalst, East-Flanders and 3 other locations) |
| Trial ID | NCT07402057 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
My Care My Voice implements videos, leaflets, and workflow supports to prompt palliative care conversations between clinicians and adults with advanced cancer. The project is interventional and multi-center, with a preparatory feasibility phase plus combined effect and process evaluations to measure changes in clinician intention and behavior and the quality of implementation. Participants include oncologists, other clinicians, implementer staff, and adult patients with non-curable cancer at three hospitals in East Flanders, Belgium. Data collection uses surveys, interviews, and observations to assess acceptability, feasibility, and how the materials can be integrated into routine care.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults (18+) with advanced, non-curable cancer treated at one of the participating hospitals, plus oncologists and hospital staff who regularly care for them.
Not a fit: Patients with curable disease, those already receiving specialized palliative or hospice care, or those treated outside the participating hospitals are unlikely to benefit from this program.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could lead to earlier palliative care conversations and better symptom control and quality of life for patients with advanced cancer.
How similar studies have performed: Previous trials of early palliative care have shown improvements in symptom control and quality of life, but implementation programs like My Care My Voice are less studied and partly novel.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria (physician): * Oncologist (medical oncologist, radiation oncologist, etc.), radiologist, organ specialist, nuclear medicine physician, ASO * The physician regularly interacts with people with advanced cancer * The physician is employed in an oncology hospital department Exclusion Criteria (physician): * The physician works mostly (\>50% of the time) in a hospital not involved in this study Inclusion Criteria (healthcare provider - potential implementer): * Healthcare provider (e.g., study coordinator, oncology coach) or another hospital staff member (e.g., administrative staff) * The implementer regularly interacts with people with advanced cancer Exclusion criteria (healthcare provider - potential implementer): \- Physician participating in My Care, My Voice Inclusion Criteria (patient): * The participant is an adult (18 years or older) * The participant has been diagnosed with advanced (i.e., non-curable) cancer (no curative treatment ongoing or planned). Participants receiving life-prolonging treatment are included. * The participant is aware of their diagnosis and treatment options as determined by their physician * The participant has known their initial diagnosis for more than one month * The participant is able to participate in a Dutch-language study * The participant is competent and able to voluntarily consent to participate in this study * The participant is hospitalized or receiving outpatient care Exclusion Criteria (patient): * Estimated survival prognosis by the physician is longer than 5 years * The participant is in a follow-up trajectory or in remission according to the physician * The participant is already receiving specialized palliative care known to the treating physician
Where this trial is running
Aalst, East-Flanders and 3 other locations
- AZorg — Aalst, East-Flanders, Belgium (Recruiting)
- AZ Maria Middelares — Ghent, East-Flanders, Belgium (Recruiting)
- Ghent University Hospital — Ghent, East-Flanders, Belgium (Recruiting)
- AZ Groeninge — Kortrijk, West-Flanders, Belgium (Recruiting)
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.