Testing a Video Decision Support Tool to Supplement Goals-of-Care Discussions

Completed · Not applicable

Conditions studied: Advance Care Planning, Palliative Care

In brief

Subject preferences for care at the end-of-life show wide variability. In the setting of advanced disease, some subjects prefer all life-sustaining care while others forgo such procedures. The wide variability in preferences may be due to subjects' misconception of the disease condition when using solely verbal descriptions. The failure to participate in effective goals-of-care discussions may lead to overuse of medical interventions and life-sustaining measures that are inconsistent with patients' and families' wishes. Using video images -- in addition to words -- to convey goals-of-care options at end-of-life, adds a sense of verisimilitude to the condition described and may better inform subjects when making their preferences. Specific Aim: To assess the effect of a video decision support tool on preferences for end-of-life care in patients and surrogate decision makers consulted on by an inpatient palliative care service. The investigators hypothesize that those subjects who view video images as a supplement to a standard palliative care consult will be more likely to opt for comfort oriented care. In this study, patient subjects and/or their healthcare proxies who are consulted on by an inpatient palliative care team will be surveyed regarding their preferences for end-of-life care following either a standard palliative care consult or one which utilizes a short video to complement verbal descriptions. The primary analysis will involve the proportion of patient subjects/proxies in each group that prefer comfort oriented care and that die in accordance with their stated preferences. The investigators will also study the effect of the video on patient subjects' and/or proxies' uncertainty with regard to treatment preferences and overall satisfaction with the palliative care consult.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT01391429

Run by

Boston Medical Center

People needed

37

Starts

2010-10-01

Expected to finish

2012-04-01

Last updated by the study team

2016-02-23

Who can join

Age: 21 and older. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may not qualify if…

• Potential patient subjects who are identified by the palliative care team as not being appropriate for a goals-of-care discussion will be excluded.

Where it is running

• Boston Medical Center — Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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