End-of-life Communication From a Chinese Perspective

NCT ID: NCT05734781

Last Updated: 2024-11-04

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

Get a concise snapshot of the trial, including recruitment status, study phase, enrollment targets, and key timeline milestones.

Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Total Enrollment

66 participants

Study Classification

OBSERVATIONAL

Study Start Date

2023-05-04

Study Completion Date

2023-10-31

Brief Summary

Review the sponsor-provided synopsis that highlights what the study is about and why it is being conducted.

The goal of this observational study is to explore experiences and perceptions of end-of-life communication in Chinese terminally ill patients, families and healthcare providers. The main question it aims to answer is:

• What are the experiences and perceptions of end-of-life communication in Chinese terminally ill patients, families and healthcare providers? Participants will be invited to either semi-structured in-depth interviews or focus group discussions to share their thoughts.

Detailed Description

Dive into the extended narrative that explains the scientific background, objectives, and procedures in greater depth.

Objectives: To explore stakeholders' (patients, families and healthcare providers) experiences and perceptions of end-of-life communication in China; and understand culturally appropriate communication strategies.

Design and subjects: This study is a qualitative study. Eligible patients, family caregivers and healthcare providers will be recruited in two hospitals. Purposive sampling methods will be adopted. Semi-structured in-depth interviews with patients and family caregivers will be conducted respectively. Focus group discussions will be arranged with healthcare providers, allowing them to discuss end-of-life communication and generate group interactions and creative thinking.

Data analysis: The data analysis will be an iterative, cyclic and self-reflective process. Using inductive thematic analysis, common themes and categories will be determined through inductive reasoning and constant comparison.

Expected results: The study will fill the gap of no empirical evidence on end-of-life communication strategies from a Chinese perspective and enrich the knowledge about end-of-life communication.

Conditions

See the medical conditions and disease areas that this research is targeting or investigating.

Terminally Ill

Study Design

Understand how the trial is structured, including allocation methods, masking strategies, primary purpose, and other design elements.

Observational Model Type

OTHER

Study Time Perspective

PROSPECTIVE

Study Groups

Review each arm or cohort in the study, along with the interventions and objectives associated with them.

1

Interviewees: terminally ill patients, families and healthcare providers of such patients

Not Application as this is a qualitative study

Intervention Type OTHER

Not Application as this is a qualitative study

Interventions

Learn about the drugs, procedures, or behavioral strategies being tested and how they are applied within this trial.

Not Application as this is a qualitative study

Not Application as this is a qualitative study

Intervention Type OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Check the participation requirements, including inclusion and exclusion rules, age limits, and whether healthy volunteers are accepted.

Inclusion Criteria

Patients:

* Be aged older than 18 years
* Have a defined incurable life-limiting illness with a likely life expectancy of fewer than 12 months (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, 2021), according to the consultation with the patient's physician
* Have been informed of disease diagnosis and treatment
* Be able to speak Mandarin and express clearly
* Be able to provide informed consent

Family caregivers:

* Be aged older than 18 years
* One of the terminally ill patient's primary family caregivers who are familiar with patient's situation, which is defined as lived with or visited patients at least twice a week in the past month
* Have been informed of patient's disease diagnosis and treatment
* Be able to speak Mandarin
* Be able to provide informed consent

Healthcare providers:

* Be nurses, physicians or other healthcare professionals
* Be experienced in providing treatment or care to patients with advanced, life-limiting illnesses (whose likely life expectancies of fewer than 12 months) and family caregivers of such patients for at least five years (Koh et al., 2016)
* Consent to participate in the study

Exclusion Criteria

Patients and family caregivers:

* Severe auditory impairment
* Cognitive impairment
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

Meet the organizations funding or collaborating on the study and learn about their roles.

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

Identify the individual or organization who holds primary responsibility for the study information submitted to regulators.

Dr Joyce Chung

Assistant Professor, School of Nursing

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Learn about the lead researchers overseeing the trial and their institutional affiliations.

Joyce Chung, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Locations

Explore where the study is taking place and check the recruitment status at each participating site.

Zhejiang Cancer Hospital

Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China

Site Status

Countries

Review the countries where the study has at least one active or historical site.

China

References

Explore related publications, articles, or registry entries linked to this study.

Chen W, Chung JOK, Lam KKW, Molassiotis A. Patients', families' and healthcare providers' perspectives on end-of-life communication in Chinese hospital settings: A qualitative study protocol. PLoS One. 2023 Dec 27;18(12):e0296342. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0296342. eCollection 2023.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 38150444 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

Review additional registry numbers or institutional identifiers associated with this trial.

HSEARS20221217002

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

More Related Trials

Additional clinical trials that may be relevant based on similarity analysis.