Advanced Cancer
Conditions
Keywords
Dignity Therapy
Brief summary
The purpose of this study is to determine if it is feasible and acceptable to recruit for and deliver the Virtual Dignity Therapy intervention to palliative care patients with advanced cancer.
Detailed description
This study is an investigator-initiated, single site Mayo Clinic Rochester prospective minimal risk pilot study to determine feasibility and acceptability of Virtual Dignity Therapy. The Dignity Therapy intervention is a brief, individualized psychotherapy that aims to relieve psycho-emotional and existential distress and improve the experiences of patients whose lives are impacted by serious illness. This therapy offers patients an opportunity to reflect on their life with a trained facilitator and share their thoughts and memories with family and other people in their life. This therapy consists of a total of 3 sessions, with each session 2-4 weeks apart, in which the investigator provides questions focused on life review. The sessions are recorded and transcribed. The interventionist will work with patients to edit the document and provide a final generativity document for patient to keep and give to loved ones.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALVirtual Dignity Therapy
Virtual Dignity Therapy will be facilitated by a registered nurse or medical doctor trained in Dignity Therapy.
Sponsors
Mayo Clinic
Study design
Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Age ≥18 years * English fluency * No diagnosed dementia * Diagnosis of advanced cancer * Expected prognosis \> 6 months * Provide informed consent * Ability to complete questionnaire(s) by themselves or with assistance
Exclusion criteria
* Other psychological co-morbidities such as untreated schizophrenia, bipolar disease * Recent suicide attempt or psychiatric illness severe enough that hospitalization has been necessary in last 6 months * Active delirium * Participation in concurrent legacy offerings through the palliative care clinic Inclusion Criteria for caregivers: * Age ≥18 years * English fluency * Provide informed consent * Supported patient through Dignity Therapy
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Feasibility Number | 2 Years | Study feasibility will be measured by the number of participants who enrolled and finished the study. |
| Acceptability | Week 8 (after 3rd intervention session) | Acceptability, as measured by the 7-item Was it Worth It (WIWI Questionnaire).The questions are answered as either yes, no, or uncertain, overall perception of quality of life change, overall perception of study experience, one open-ended feedback question, and an option to talk with someone about concerns. Positive responses indicate acceptability. Results are reported as individual items. |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed