Trial Outcomes & Findings for Improving Informed Consent for Palliative Chemotherapy (NCT NCT02282722)

NCT ID: NCT02282722

Last Updated: 2021-10-14

Results Overview

Patients were asked "How likely do you think that chemotherapy is to cure your cancer?" with response options of not at all likely, a little likely, somewhat likely, very likely, and don't know. A response of "not at all likely" was considered accurate. All other responses, including don't know, were considered inaccurate.

Recruitment status

COMPLETED

Study phase

NA

Target enrollment

216 participants

Primary outcome timeframe

3 months

Results posted on

2021-10-14

Participant Flow

216 participants were consented to this study. Of these, 16 were were not eligible to be randomized and 14 did not complete a baseline assessment. After consultations with the study statistician, these participants were intentionally excluded from our analytic cohort. Therefore, 186 participants are included in the participant flow module.

Participant milestones

Participant milestones
Measure
Patient Usual Care Arm
Patients randomized to usual care informed consent materials.
Patient Investigational Care Arm
Patients randomized to the investigational informed consent materials.
Overall Study
STARTED
94
92
Overall Study
2-week Assessment
79
75
Overall Study
3-month Assessment
71
73
Overall Study
COMPLETED
71
73
Overall Study
NOT COMPLETED
23
19

Reasons for withdrawal

Withdrawal data not reported

Baseline Characteristics

Improving Informed Consent for Palliative Chemotherapy

Baseline characteristics by cohort

Baseline characteristics by cohort
Measure
Usual Informed Consent
n=94 Participants
Study participant will receive usual, standard-of-care informed consent for chemotherapy materials. Usual, standard-of-care informed consent for chemotherapy: The enrolling site's institutional standard-of-care informed consent materials.
Investigational Informed Consent
n=92 Participants
Study participant will receive investigational informed consent for chemotherapy materials that were developed by the study team. Investigational informed consent for chemotherapy: Investigational informed consent materials consist of regimen-specific multimedia tools: a video plus a booklet.
Total
n=186 Participants
Total of all reporting groups
Education
College degree or higher
49 Participants
n=5 Participants
57 Participants
n=7 Participants
106 Participants
n=5 Participants
Education
Unknown/missing
1 Participants
n=5 Participants
1 Participants
n=7 Participants
2 Participants
n=5 Participants
Age, Categorical
<=18 years
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
0 Participants
n=7 Participants
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
Age, Categorical
Between 18 and 65 years
57 Participants
n=5 Participants
56 Participants
n=7 Participants
113 Participants
n=5 Participants
Age, Categorical
>=65 years
37 Participants
n=5 Participants
36 Participants
n=7 Participants
73 Participants
n=5 Participants
Age, Continuous
59.2 Years
n=5 Participants
59.4 Years
n=7 Participants
59.3 Years
n=5 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Female
40 Participants
n=5 Participants
39 Participants
n=7 Participants
79 Participants
n=5 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
54 Participants
n=5 Participants
53 Participants
n=7 Participants
107 Participants
n=5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
American Indian or Alaska Native
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
0 Participants
n=7 Participants
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Asian
5 Participants
n=5 Participants
2 Participants
n=7 Participants
7 Participants
n=5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
0 Participants
n=7 Participants
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Black or African American
11 Participants
n=5 Participants
6 Participants
n=7 Participants
17 Participants
n=5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
White
76 Participants
n=5 Participants
84 Participants
n=7 Participants
160 Participants
n=5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
More than one race
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
0 Participants
n=7 Participants
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Unknown or Not Reported
2 Participants
n=5 Participants
0 Participants
n=7 Participants
2 Participants
n=5 Participants
Live alone
Yes
16 Participants
n=5 Participants
12 Participants
n=7 Participants
28 Participants
n=5 Participants
Live alone
No
76 Participants
n=5 Participants
79 Participants
n=7 Participants
155 Participants
n=5 Participants
Live alone
Unknown
2 Participants
n=5 Participants
1 Participants
n=7 Participants
3 Participants
n=5 Participants
Education
Grade school or less
8 Participants
n=5 Participants
5 Participants
n=7 Participants
13 Participants
n=5 Participants
Education
High school graduate, or some college
36 Participants
n=5 Participants
29 Participants
n=7 Participants
65 Participants
n=5 Participants
Diagnosis
Metastatic colorectal cancer
59 Participants
n=5 Participants
59 Participants
n=7 Participants
118 Participants
n=5 Participants
Diagnosis
Advanced pancreatic cancer
35 Participants
n=5 Participants
33 Participants
n=7 Participants
68 Participants
n=5 Participants
ECOG Performance Status
0 - Fully Active
31 Participants
n=5 Participants
44 Participants
n=7 Participants
75 Participants
n=5 Participants
ECOG Performance Status
1 - Restricted in physically strenuous activity
42 Participants
n=5 Participants
26 Participants
n=7 Participants
68 Participants
n=5 Participants
ECOG Performance Status
2 - Ambulatory but unable to work
5 Participants
n=5 Participants
6 Participants
n=7 Participants
11 Participants
n=5 Participants
ECOG Performance Status
3 - Capable of limited self-care
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
0 Participants
n=7 Participants
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
ECOG Performance Status
4 - Completely disabled
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
0 Participants
n=7 Participants
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
ECOG Performance Status
Unknown/Missing
16 Participants
n=5 Participants
16 Participants
n=7 Participants
32 Participants
n=5 Participants

PRIMARY outcome

Timeframe: 3 months

Patients were asked "How likely do you think that chemotherapy is to cure your cancer?" with response options of not at all likely, a little likely, somewhat likely, very likely, and don't know. A response of "not at all likely" was considered accurate. All other responses, including don't know, were considered inaccurate.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Patient Usual Care Arm
n=71 Participants
Patients randomized to usual care informed consent materials.
Patient Investigational Care Arm
n=73 Participants
Patients randomized to the investigational informed consent materials.
Number of Patients With Accurate Understanding of Chemotherapy Benefits
Accurate
39 Participants
39 Participants
Number of Patients With Accurate Understanding of Chemotherapy Benefits
Inaccurate
30 Participants
31 Participants
Number of Patients With Accurate Understanding of Chemotherapy Benefits
Did not answer
2 Participants
3 Participants

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: 2 weeks

Patients were asked to rate the likelihood that they would experience specific side effects as a result of the chemotherapy under consideration, with separate items for nausea/vomiting, diarrhea, neuropathy, and hair loss. Patients' responses were correlated to the known side effect profile of their chemotherapy regimen and coded as accurate or inaccurate.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Patient Usual Care Arm
n=79 Participants
Patients randomized to usual care informed consent materials.
Patient Investigational Care Arm
n=75 Participants
Patients randomized to the investigational informed consent materials.
Number of Patients With Accurate Understanding of Chemotherapy Risks
Inaccurate
47 Participants
33 Participants
Number of Patients With Accurate Understanding of Chemotherapy Risks
Accurate
31 Participants
41 Participants
Number of Patients With Accurate Understanding of Chemotherapy Risks
Unknown/missing
1 Participants
1 Participants

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: 2 weeks

Patients were asked "according to your doctor, what is the goal of the chemotherapy?" with the ability to choose any/all of the following response options: cure, control cancer growth, alleviate symptoms, prolong life, or other. Selecting either control cancer growth, and/or alleviate symptoms, and/or prolong life were defined as accurate understanding; "to cure" was considered inaccurate.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Patient Usual Care Arm
n=79 Participants
Patients randomized to usual care informed consent materials.
Patient Investigational Care Arm
n=75 Participants
Patients randomized to the investigational informed consent materials.
Number of Participants With Accurate Understanding of the Goals of Palliative Chemotherapy
Unknown/missing
1 Participants
1 Participants
Number of Participants With Accurate Understanding of the Goals of Palliative Chemotherapy
Inaccurate
10 Participants
9 Participants
Number of Participants With Accurate Understanding of the Goals of Palliative Chemotherapy
Accurate
68 Participants
65 Participants

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: 2 weeks

Decisional Conflict was assessed by a modified version of the 4 item SURE instrument of Legare at al which assesses whether patients 1) are sure of the best treatment option, 2) know the risks and benefits of their treatment options, 3) are clear about which risks and benefits matter to them, and 4) whether they have sufficient support to make their treatment decision. We expanded items 2 and 3 into four separate items assessing risks and benefits individually. Responses were summed, resulting in a scale of 0-6, where 0 indicates maximum conflict and 6 indicates no conflict

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Patient Usual Care Arm
n=79 Participants
Patients randomized to usual care informed consent materials.
Patient Investigational Care Arm
n=75 Participants
Patients randomized to the investigational informed consent materials.
Decisional Conflict When Making a Chemotherapy Treatment Choice: Modified SURE Scores
5.2 units on a scale
Standard Deviation 1.7
5.5 units on a scale
Standard Deviation 1.2

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: 2 weeks

Achievement of preferred role in decision-making was assessed by the Control Preferences Scale; patients indicate the role they played in their treatment decision which is compared to their preferred role (assessed at baseline).

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Patient Usual Care Arm
n=79 Participants
Patients randomized to usual care informed consent materials.
Patient Investigational Care Arm
n=75 Participants
Patients randomized to the investigational informed consent materials.
Number of Participants Who Achieve Their Preferred Role in Treatment Decision Making Process
No
48 Participants
39 Participants
Number of Participants Who Achieve Their Preferred Role in Treatment Decision Making Process
Yes
30 Participants
35 Participants
Number of Participants Who Achieve Their Preferred Role in Treatment Decision Making Process
Unknown/missing
1 Participants
1 Participants

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: 2 weeks

Satisfaction with communication during treatment decision-making process was assessed via 5 items from the Patient Assessment of Cancer Communication Experiences (PACE). Scores were averaged ("does not apply" excluded), creating a score of 1 to 4, with 4 being the most satisfied.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Patient Usual Care Arm
n=79 Participants
Patients randomized to usual care informed consent materials.
Patient Investigational Care Arm
n=75 Participants
Patients randomized to the investigational informed consent materials.
Satisfaction When Making a Chemotherapy Treatment Choice: PACE Scores
3.6 units on a scale
Standard Deviation 0.5
3.7 units on a scale
Standard Deviation 0.4

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: 3 months

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Patient Usual Care Arm
n=71 Participants
Patients randomized to usual care informed consent materials.
Patient Investigational Care Arm
n=73 Participants
Patients randomized to the investigational informed consent materials.
Number of Participants Who Have End-of-life Discussions With Healthcare Proxy and Care Team
No
60 Participants
55 Participants
Number of Participants Who Have End-of-life Discussions With Healthcare Proxy and Care Team
Yes
10 Participants
16 Participants
Number of Participants Who Have End-of-life Discussions With Healthcare Proxy and Care Team
Unknown/missing
1 Participants
2 Participants

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: 3 months

Decisional Regret was assessed at the 3-month survey using Brehaut's 5-item decisional regret scale, with scores ranging from 0-100, where 100 indicates maximal regret, and 0 indicates no regret.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Patient Usual Care Arm
n=71 Participants
Patients randomized to usual care informed consent materials.
Patient Investigational Care Arm
n=73 Participants
Patients randomized to the investigational informed consent materials.
Decisional Regret When Making a Chemotherapy Treatment Choice: Decisional Regret Scale
79.6 units on a scale
Standard Deviation 19.3
84.7 units on a scale
Standard Deviation 14.4

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: 3 months

Emotional distress was assessed via the emotional wellbeing subscale of the FACT-G. Scores range from 0-24, with higher scores being more desirable.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Patient Usual Care Arm
n=71 Participants
Patients randomized to usual care informed consent materials.
Patient Investigational Care Arm
n=73 Participants
Patients randomized to the investigational informed consent materials.
Emotional Distress When Making a Chemotherapy Treatment Choice: FACT-G Assessment
16.5 units on a scale
Standard Deviation 4.6
17.3 units on a scale
Standard Deviation 4.5

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: 3 months

Prognostic understanding was assessed by asking patients about their understanding of the prognosis of the typical patient with their condition (\<1 year, 1-2 years, 2- 3 years, 3-5 years, 5-10 years, \>10 years). This measure was adapted from the CANCORS trial.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Patient Usual Care Arm
n=71 Participants
Patients randomized to usual care informed consent materials.
Patient Investigational Care Arm
n=73 Participants
Patients randomized to the investigational informed consent materials.
Patient-Reported Prognostic Understanding in Median Years
2.5 years
Interval 1.5 to 4.0
2.5 years
Interval 1.5 to 4.0

Adverse Events

Patient Usual Care Arm

Serious events: 0 serious events
Other events: 0 other events
Deaths: 0 deaths

Patient Investigational Care Arm

Serious events: 0 serious events
Other events: 0 other events
Deaths: 0 deaths

Serious adverse events

Adverse event data not reported

Other adverse events

Adverse event data not reported

Additional Information

Dr. Deb Schrag

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Phone: 617-582-8301

Results disclosure agreements

  • Principal investigator is a sponsor employee
  • Publication restrictions are in place

Restriction type: GT60