Using Whole-Person-Care Guide in Patients Receiving Care for Cancer or Complications From Cancer Treatment

Using Whole-Person-Care Guide in Patients Receiving Care for Cancer or Complications From Cancer Treatment

Developing a Nested Whole-Person-Care Guide: Screening and Evaluation Steps (American Cancer Society) ACS

RATIONALE: Gathering information about patients with cancer and cancer-related conditions may help doctors learn more about a patient's needs and help doctors plan the best treatment. PURPOSE: This clinical trial is studying how well a whole-person-care guide works in identifying patient needs in patients with cancer or complications from cancer treatment.

OBJECTIVES: To determine what patient needs are detected from NEST13+ interviews of cancer patients and their caregivers. To determine the concordance among patient, caregiver, and team goals. To determine palliative care services provided. OUTLINE: Participants are assigned sequentially to 1 of 2 intervention groups. Group 1 (NEST13+): Patients and caregivers undergo NEST13+ interviews at the time of admission to Northwestern Memorial Hospital (caregivers answer the NEST13+ interviews from the patient's perspective). A NEST13+ care plan is then derived from both patient and caregiver responses. Research MD or RN presents patient's NEST13+ findings and recommended interventions for integration with actual care. On the day of discharge, patients and caregivers undergo a second NEST13+ interview. Group 2 (control): Patients and caregivers undergo a sham interview at the time of admission to Northwestern Memorial Hospital. On the day of discharge, patients and caregivers undergo a NEST13+ interview as in group 1. Medical charts for all patients are reviewed by a member of the research staff to document needs assessments in domains covered by NEST and to document palliative care-related decisions. Abstracted chart review by blinded experts is also performed to evaluate palliative care quality based on National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines. PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 500 patients and 250 caregivers will be accrued for this study.

Chemotherapeutic Agent Toxicity, Infection, Malnutrition, Musculoskeletal Complications, Neutropenia, Radiation Toxicity, Thrombocytopenia, Unspecified Adult Solid Tumor, Protocol Specific

neutropenia, infection, radiation toxicity, chemotherapeutic agent toxicity, malnutrition, musculoskeletal complications, thrombocytopenia, unspecified adult solid tumor, protocol specific

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Confirmed diagnosis of cancer Admitted to one of the two oncology units at Northwestern Memorial Hospital either for treatment of cancer or treatment-related complications Complications include, but are not limited to, any of the following: Febrile neutropenia Infection Esophagitis from radiochemotherapy Malnutrition Spinal cord compression Bone pain secondary to metastatic bone disease Thrombocytopenia PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Able to read and understand English PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: See Disease Characteristics