Chaplain-Delivered Compassion Meditation to Improve Quality of Life in Patients Receiving a Stem Cell Transplant

Chaplain-Delivered Compassion Meditation to Improve Quality of Life in Patients Receiving a Stem Cell Transplant

A Feasibility Study of Chaplain-Delivered Compassion Meditation for Patients Receiving Stem Cell Transplantation

National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), National Institutes of Health (NIH)

This clinical trial tests whether chaplain-delivered compassion centered spiritual health (CCSH) works to improve quality of life in patients receiving a stem cell transplant. CCSH is a secularized, research-based mindfulness and compassion meditation program designed to expand and strengthen compassion for self and others. Practices include training in attentional stability and increased emotional awareness, as well as targeted reflections to appreciate one's relationship with self and others. By centering the mind, controlling negative thoughts, and cultivating personal resiliency and an inclusive and more accurate understanding of others, CCSH may help improve response to stress and reduce inflammation.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: I. To examine the feasibility, adoption, extent of implementation, and fidelity of chaplain-delivered CCSH. OUTLINE: Patients undergo 4 to 8 sessions (2-4 per week) of CCSH over 30 minutes with a chaplain while impatient.

Patients undergo 4 to 8 sessions (2-4 per week) of CCSH over 30 minutes with a chaplain while impatient.

Chaplains will deliver between four and eight 30-minute sessions (2-4 times per week) to evaluate the fidelity of implementation (FOI). Administer the (4 min) Scottish Patient Reported Outcome Measure. The Patient Reported Outcome Measure is an 18-item Likert-scale that assesses how a hospitalized patient felt about the pastoral care visit both during the consult and after it. The scale will indicate the following range: 5-25, with higher scores indicating more improvement as a result of the chaplain visit and lower scores indicating less improvement as a result of the chaplain visit.

Adherence will be evaluated as the percent of sessions completed by patients and characterized as "low" (< 70%), "moderate" (70-80%),"high" (> 80%) adherence.

Quantify the percentage of cognitive based compassion training (cbct) that patients receive. Characterize the modal number of sessions received as well as the range of sessions completed by all patients. From the range, we will create categories of "low" (<70%), "moderate" (70-80%),"high" (> 80%) dosage.

Evaluate the rate of which patients were engaged in each session, operationalized as "maximally," "moderately", or "minimally" enthusiastic and attentive during each. We will quantify the average patient engagement for all sessions, as well as the average responsiveness for each session.

Inclusion Criteria: PATIENT: Within 6 weeks of scheduled hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) PATIENT: > 18 years of age PATIENT: Speak and read English CHAPLAIN: Emory Healthcare Chaplain Exclusion Criteria: CHAPLAIN: There will be no exclusion criteria and no consequence to the chaplains for refusing to volunteer PATIENT: Neurologic or cognitive problems that preclude chaplain-delivered CCSH