Randomized Evaluation of Default Access to Palliative Services

Completed · Not applicable

Conditions studied: COPD, ESRD, Dementia

In brief

This is a large pragmatic, randomized controlled trial to test the real-world effectiveness of inpatient palliative care consultative services in improving a number of patient- and family-centered processes and outcomes of care among seriously ill hospitalized patients. The investigators hypothesize that improved patient-centered outcomes can be achieved without higher costs by simply changing the default option for inpatient palliative care consultation for eligible patients from an opt-in to an opt-out system. To test this hypothesis the investigators will conduct a clinical trial at 11 hospitals using the same electronic health record within Ascension Health, the largest non-profit health system in the U.S.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT02505035

Run by

University of Pennsylvania

People needed

34239

Starts

2016-03-01

Expected to finish

2020-09-01

Last updated by the study team

2020-09-11

Who can join

Age: 65 and older. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Age 65 years or older
• Current hospitalization of at least 3 calendar days (modified ITT)
• Diagnosis of one or more of the following:
• End-stage renal disease (ESRD) on dialysis
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with home oxygen dependence or 2 or more hospitalizations in the past 12 months
• Dementia admitted from a long-term care facility or prior placement of a surgical feeding tube or 2 or more additional hospitalizations in the past 12 months

You may not qualify if…

• Patients younger than 65 years old will not receive the intervention

Where it is running

• St. Vincent's Medical Center — Bridgeport, Connecticut, United States
• St. Vincent's Medical Center, Riverside — Jacksonville, Florida, United States
• St. Vincent's Medical Center, Southside — Jacksonville, Florida, United States
• Via Christi Hospital, St. Francis — Wichita, Kansas, United States
• Via Christi Hospital, St. Joseph — Wichita, Kansas, United States
• Borgess Medical Center — Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States
• Our Lady of Lourdes Memorial Hospital — Binghamton, New York, United States
• St. Thomas West Hospital — Nashville, Tennessee, United States
• University Medical Center Brackenridge — Austin, Texas, United States
• Columbia St. Mary's, Ozaukee — Mequon, Wisconsin, United States
• Columbia St. Mary's, North Lake — Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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