Preparing Patients and Family Caregivers for Medical Decision Making
| Status: | Recruiting |
|---|---|
| Healthy: | No |
| Age Range: | 18 - Any |
| Updated: | 9/8/2018 |
| Start Date: | July 17, 2017 |
| End Date: | July 2022 |
| Contact: | Donna Zhukovsky, MD |
| Email: | dzhukovs@mdanderson.org |
| Phone: | 713-792-6085 |
Preparing Patients and Family Caregivers for Medical Decision Making: Evaluating the Impact of a Systematic Social Work Driven Approach on Medical Power of Attorney Documentation, Knowledge, Attitudes and Beliefs
As a new patient at MD Anderson, you and a family member or caregiver will be offered the
opportunity to work with a social work counselor to learn how to select and prepare a family
member or other individual you trust to help you make medical decisions with the help of your
doctor that best fit your needs. You can also appoint this person to make medical decisions
on your behalf, if there is ever a time when you are not able to make decisions for yourself.
This individual is called a medical power of attorney (MPOA).
The goal of this research study is to learn how well MD Anderson helps patients and their
families select and prepare an MPOA. Researchers want to find out if social work counseling
and education help to increase the number of patients who complete MPOA documents. They also
want to study how counseling and education affects attitudes about medical decision-making,
and willingness to take part in these kinds of conversations for patients and their family
members and/or caregivers.
This is an investigational study. Reviewing your medical record, completing a set of surveys
at your new patient appointment and again 3 months later and watching a brief educational
video is the only part of this study that is considered investigational.
Up to 180 patient and caregiver pairs will take part in this study. All will be enrolled at
MD Anderson.
opportunity to work with a social work counselor to learn how to select and prepare a family
member or other individual you trust to help you make medical decisions with the help of your
doctor that best fit your needs. You can also appoint this person to make medical decisions
on your behalf, if there is ever a time when you are not able to make decisions for yourself.
This individual is called a medical power of attorney (MPOA).
The goal of this research study is to learn how well MD Anderson helps patients and their
families select and prepare an MPOA. Researchers want to find out if social work counseling
and education help to increase the number of patients who complete MPOA documents. They also
want to study how counseling and education affects attitudes about medical decision-making,
and willingness to take part in these kinds of conversations for patients and their family
members and/or caregivers.
This is an investigational study. Reviewing your medical record, completing a set of surveys
at your new patient appointment and again 3 months later and watching a brief educational
video is the only part of this study that is considered investigational.
Up to 180 patient and caregiver pairs will take part in this study. All will be enrolled at
MD Anderson.
If you agree to take part in this study, you will be asked to complete 3 questionnaires about
your knowledge, attitude, and beliefs about MPOAs. This will take about 14 minutes to
complete.
You will also be asked to complete 8 other surveys that include questions about the following
topics:
- Demographic information (including your name, date of birth, race, religious experience,
language of preference, and marital status)
- Your medical history (including diagnosis and disease status)
- Your knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about MPOA
- Information about your religious faith or belief system
- How confident you are filling out medical forms by yourself
- Your preferences, values, and experience with making medical decisions
Some of this information may also be collected from your medical record.
These questionnaires should take about 15 minutes total to complete.
If you do not have a MPOA document, as per usual clinical practice, the clinic staff will
offer you and your caregiver/MPOA a referral to the social work counselor. You and your
family member or caregiver will also be asked to watch a 4-minute educational video about the
importance of the role of MPOA.
About 3 months later, at a routine clinic visit or by phone, you will fill out questionnaires
about MPOA, your values and goals for medical decision making, and your willingness to take
part in future advanced-care planning discussions. You will answer questions about you MPOA
status. These should take about 8 minutes total to complete.
Other Information:
You should not share your answers with your family member or caregiver, so that your answers
do not influence their questionnaire responses.
Length of Study:
You participation on this study will be over after you complete the second set of
questionnaires at the 3-month follow-up doctor appointment.
your knowledge, attitude, and beliefs about MPOAs. This will take about 14 minutes to
complete.
You will also be asked to complete 8 other surveys that include questions about the following
topics:
- Demographic information (including your name, date of birth, race, religious experience,
language of preference, and marital status)
- Your medical history (including diagnosis and disease status)
- Your knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about MPOA
- Information about your religious faith or belief system
- How confident you are filling out medical forms by yourself
- Your preferences, values, and experience with making medical decisions
Some of this information may also be collected from your medical record.
These questionnaires should take about 15 minutes total to complete.
If you do not have a MPOA document, as per usual clinical practice, the clinic staff will
offer you and your caregiver/MPOA a referral to the social work counselor. You and your
family member or caregiver will also be asked to watch a 4-minute educational video about the
importance of the role of MPOA.
About 3 months later, at a routine clinic visit or by phone, you will fill out questionnaires
about MPOA, your values and goals for medical decision making, and your willingness to take
part in future advanced-care planning discussions. You will answer questions about you MPOA
status. These should take about 8 minutes total to complete.
Other Information:
You should not share your answers with your family member or caregiver, so that your answers
do not influence their questionnaire responses.
Length of Study:
You participation on this study will be over after you complete the second set of
questionnaires at the 3-month follow-up doctor appointment.
Inclusion Criteria:
1. [Patients] Diagnosis of invasive gynecologic malignancy stages 1-4
2. [Patients] New patient in the Gynecologic Oncology Center
3. [Patient] Adequate capacity to understand and complete MPOAD in the opinion of the
study investigator or research assistant
4. [Patients] Able to speak and understand English and/or Spanish
5. [Patients] age 18 or older
6. [Patients] Provision of IRB-approved informed consent
7. [Patients] Available MPOA or primary family caregiver who consents to study
participation
8. [Family Caregiver/MPOA] MPOA or if none documented in EHR, primary family caregiver,
as designated by the patient
9. [Family Caregiver/MPOA] Permission to contact provided by patient
10. [Family Caregiver/MPOA] Adequate capacity to understand and complete study measures in
the opinion of the study investigator or research assistant
11. [Family Caregiver/MPOA] Age 18 years or older
12. [Family Caregiver/MPOA] Provision of IRB-approved informed consent
Exclusion Criteria:
1) [Patients] without a MPOA or available family caregiver
We found this trial at
1
site
1515 Holcombe Blvd
Houston, Texas 77030
Houston, Texas 77030
713-792-2121
University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center The mission of The University of Texas MD...
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