Using a conversation game to help cancer patients with advance care planning
Adapting an Advance Care Planning Intervention for Use With Patients With Cancer and Their Care Partners: Phase Two
This study is testing a conversation game to help cancer patients talk about their future healthcare choices and see if it makes planning easier for them and their families.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 32 (estimated) |
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | Milton S. Hershey Medical Center Academic / other |
| Drugs / interventions | radiation |
| Locations | 1 site (Hershey, Pennsylvania) |
| Trial ID | NCT06384417 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This clinical trial aims to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of the 'Hello' conversation game as a tool for advance care planning among patients with various solid tumors, including breast, lung, and colorectal cancers. Participants will engage in the game, complete questionnaires before and after, and take part in focus groups and follow-up interviews to assess the impact on their healthcare usage and care preferences. The study seeks to adapt the game to meet the unique needs of cancer patients and their caregivers, addressing the low rates of advance care planning in this population.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Ideal candidates include adults over 18 diagnosed with solid tumor cancers who receive care at Penn State Health.
Not a fit: Patients who have already completed an advance directive since their cancer diagnosis may not benefit from this study.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could significantly improve advance care planning engagement among cancer patients, leading to better alignment of care with their preferences.
How similar studies have performed: Previous studies have shown success with the Hello game in general populations, but this adaptation for cancer patients is novel.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria Patient with Cancer: * Adults (\> 18 years old) * Able to speak and read English and/or Spanish * Be an individual diagnosed with a solid tumor cancer (e.g., breast, colon, lung, melanoma, head and neck, or genitourinary/prostate cancer) as verified by primary oncologist or is the chosen caregiver for a participant with those cancers * Receives care at Penn State Health or is the chosen caregiver for a participant treated at Penn State Health Exclusion Criteria Patient with Cancer: * Has completed an advance directive since cancer diagnosis as verified by presence in the patient's medical chart * Has not received treatment for their cancer at a Penn State Health facility in the past year * Unable to consent to participate in study Inclusion Criteria Caregiver/Loved one: * Adults (\> 18 years old) * Able to speak and read English and/or Spanish * Be the chosen caregiver for a participant with cancer Exclusion Criteria Caregiver/Loved one: \* Unable to consent to participate in study
Where this trial is running
Hershey, Pennsylvania
- Penn State Cancer Institute — Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Lauren Van Scoy, MD — Penn State College of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Kylee Kimbel, BS
- Email: kkimbel@pennstatehealth.psu.edu
- Phone: 7179744158
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.