Implementing, Evaluating, and Scaling Up of the Strengthening a Palliative Approach in Long Term Care (SPA-LTC) Program
NCT ID: NCT03935997
Last Updated: 2025-09-25
Study Results
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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ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING
NA
594 participants
INTERVENTIONAL
2022-06-01
2026-01-31
Brief Summary
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Detailed Description
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Evidence-based components of the program include:
Palliative Champion Teams; Palliative Care Education, including illness-trajectory pamphlets for staff and family members; Comfort Care Rounds with staff; Prognostic Tools to trigger end-of-life discussions; Palliative Care Conferences; Bereavement Pamphlets for families; and Post-Bereavement Follow-Up for families, and staff
The goal is to implement and assess this program across three provinces in Canada (Ontario, Saskatchewan, Manitoba). The investigators will use the findings to revise the program and inform the scaling up of the program across diverse settings and provinces.
Conditions
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Study Design
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RANDOMIZED
PARALLEL
HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH
NONE
Study Groups
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Intervention
Within the intervention arm 9 long-term care homes will receive the SPA-LTC program:3 in Ontario; 3 in Saskatchewan and 3 in Manitoba.
Strengthening a Palliative Approach in Long-Term Care (SPA-LTC) Program
Our team will work with long-term care homes in the study to implement the Strengthening a Palliative Approach in Long Term Care (SPA-LTC) which consists of the following core, evidence-informed components:
Palliative Champion Teams (to provide leadership and support implementation); Palliative Care Education (including illness trajectory pamphlets); Comfort Care Rounds with staff (for capacity building and reflection); Prognostic Tools to trigger end-of-life discussions; Palliative Care Conferences with families and residents; Bereavement Pamphlets; and Post-Bereavement Follow-Up for families, and staff.
Control
Within the control arm 9 long-term care homes will receive the standard of care: 3 in Ontario; 3 in Saskatchewan and 3 in Manitoba.
No interventions assigned to this group
Interventions
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Strengthening a Palliative Approach in Long-Term Care (SPA-LTC) Program
Our team will work with long-term care homes in the study to implement the Strengthening a Palliative Approach in Long Term Care (SPA-LTC) which consists of the following core, evidence-informed components:
Palliative Champion Teams (to provide leadership and support implementation); Palliative Care Education (including illness trajectory pamphlets); Comfort Care Rounds with staff (for capacity building and reflection); Prognostic Tools to trigger end-of-life discussions; Palliative Care Conferences with families and residents; Bereavement Pamphlets; and Post-Bereavement Follow-Up for families, and staff.
Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria
Exclusion Criteria
* residents with a score of more than 50% on the Palliative Performance Scale.
ALL
No
Sponsors
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Alberta Health services
OTHER
Hospice Palliative Care Ontario
UNKNOWN
Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association
UNKNOWN
Canadian Virtual Hospice
UNKNOWN
Saskatchewan Health Authority - Regina Area
OTHER
Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authority
UNKNOWN
McMaster University
OTHER
Responsible Party
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Principal Investigators
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Sharon Kaasalainen, PhD
Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
McMaster University, School of Nursing
Locations
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University of Manitoba
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
McMaster University
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
University of Regina
Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
University of Saskatchewan
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
Countries
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References
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Sussman T, Kaasalainen S, Lee E, Akhtar-Danesh N, Strachan PH, Brazil K, Bonifas R, Bourgeois-Guerin V, Durivage P, Papaioannou A, Young L. Condition-Specific Pamphlets to Improve End-of-life Communication in Long-term Care: Staff Perceptions on Usability and Use. J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2019 Mar;20(3):262-267. doi: 10.1016/j.jamda.2018.11.009. Epub 2018 Dec 21.
Thompson G, Shindruk C, Wickson-Griffiths A, Sussman T, Hunter P, McClement S, Chochinov H, McCleary L, Kaasalainen S, Venturato L. "Who would want to die like that?" Perspectives on dying alone in a long-term care setting. Death Stud. 2019;43(8):509-520. doi: 10.1080/07481187.2018.1491484. Epub 2018 Sep 12.
Sussman T, Kaasalainen S, Bui M, Akhtar-Danesh N, Mintzberg S, Strachan P. "Now I Don't Have to Guess": Using Pamphlets to Encourage Residents and Families/Friends to Engage in Advance Care Planning in Long-Term Care. Gerontol Geriatr Med. 2017 Dec 20;3:2333721417747323. doi: 10.1177/2333721417747323. eCollection 2017 Jan-Dec.
Durepos P, Kaasalainen S, Sussman T, Parker D, Brazil K, Mintzberg S, Te A. Family care conferences in long-term care: Exploring content and processes in end-of-life communication. Palliat Support Care. 2018 Oct;16(5):590-601. doi: 10.1017/S1478951517000773. Epub 2017 Dec 29.
Kaasalainen S, Sussman T, Durepos P, McCleary L, Ploeg J, Thompson G; SPA-LTC Team. What Are Staff Perceptions About Their Current Use of Emergency Departments for Long-Term Care Residents at End of Life? Clin Nurs Res. 2019 Jul;28(6):692-707. doi: 10.1177/1054773817749125. Epub 2017 Dec 22.
Related Links
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SPA-LTC webpage (housed on the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association website)
Other Identifiers
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SPA-LTC408466
Identifier Type: -
Identifier Source: org_study_id
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