Starlight Therapy in Palliative Care

NCT ID: NCT03716999

Last Updated: 2024-08-23

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

NOT_YET_RECRUITING

Total Enrollment

100 participants

Study Classification

OBSERVATIONAL

Study Start Date

2026-12-15

Study Completion Date

2027-11-30

Brief Summary

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Starlight Therapy™ has been shown to help alleviate end-of-life symptoms in Palliative Care patients and reduce the need for PRN or "as needed" medications. This study will investigate the efficacy of this intervention on the symptom of anxiety using a mixed-method analysis.

The primary investigator hypothesizes that any anti-anxiolytic effects could be caused by the Intrinsically Photosensitive Retinal Ganglion Cell neural pathway to the amygdala.

Detailed Description

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Starlight Therapy has been shown (see citation) to help alleviate end-of-life symptoms in Palliative Care patients and reduce the need for PRN or "as needed" medications. This study will investigate the efficacy of this intervention using a mixed-method analysis.

Starlight Therapy will be offered to patients with unpleasant end-of-life symptoms such as dyspnea, agitation, anxiety, restlessness and insomnia. The effect the Starlight Therapy has in helping alleviate these symptoms will be measured using the ESAS (Edmonton Symptom Assessment System) questionnaire at baseline and following a predetermined period of time of Starlight Therapy.

10 Starlight Projectors have been purchased for the unit where the study will take place: the Inpatient Palliative Care Unit 7A, Victoria General Hospital, Centennial Building. The funding was acquired by a Comfort \& Care Grant from the QEII Foundation.

The results will be compiled and analyzed in a research paper "Concerning the Efficacy and Underlying Mechanism of Starlight Therapy as a Non-Pharmacological Nursing Intervention for Palliative Care Patients".

Conditions

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Symptom Management

Study Design

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Observational Model Type

OTHER

Study Time Perspective

OTHER

Study Groups

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Palliative Care Patients

Palliative care Patients meeting criteria will receive Starlight Therapy

Starlight Therapy

Intervention Type OTHER

Starlight Projector will be placed in patients' rooms and project starlight on the ceilings and walls in an effort to reduce unpleasant symptoms

Interventions

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Starlight Therapy

Starlight Projector will be placed in patients' rooms and project starlight on the ceilings and walls in an effort to reduce unpleasant symptoms

Intervention Type OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

1\. ESAS indicates at least one of the following symptoms:

* Insomnia
* Anxiety
* Restlessness
* Dyspnea
* Pain

Exclusion Criteria

1. Clinical Diagnosis of blindness
2. ESAS does not include any of the flowing symptoms:

* Insomnia
* Anxiety
* Restlessness
* Dyspnea
* Pain
Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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Nova Scotia Health Authority

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Locations

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Victoria General Hospital

Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

Site Status

Countries

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Canada

Central Contacts

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shelley A sandblom, BA, BScN, RN

Role: CONTACT

902-449-6110

References

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Evaluation of a Low-Light Intervention-Starlight Therapy-for Agitation, Anxiety, Restlessness, Sleep Disturbances, Dyspnea, and Pain at End of Life. (2017). Journal of Hospice & Palliative Nursing, 19(3), 221-222. doi:10.1097/njh.0000000000000343

Reference Type BACKGROUND

Related Links

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Other Identifiers

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Starlight Trial

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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