Impact of an hospital-based palliative care service in the community.
| ISRCTN | ISRCTN12144425 |
|---|---|
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN12144425 |
| Secondary identifying numbers | NCP/J01 |
- Submission date
- 23/01/2004
- Registration date
- 23/01/2004
- Last edited
- 14/12/2007
- Recruitment status
- No longer recruiting
- Overall study status
- Completed
- Condition category
- Signs and Symptoms
Prospectively registered
Protocol
Statistical analysis plan
Results
Individual participant data
Plain English summary of protocol
Not provided at time of registration
Contact information
Prof Geoff Hanks
Scientific
Scientific
Department of Palliative Medicine
University of Bristol
Bristol Oncology Centre
Horfield Road
Bristol
BS2 8ED
United Kingdom
| Phone | +44 (0)117 928 3336 |
|---|---|
| G.W.Hanks@bris.ac.uk |
Study information
| Study design | Randomised controlled trial |
|---|---|
| Primary study design | Interventional |
| Secondary study design | Randomised controlled trial |
| Study setting(s) | Hospital |
| Study type | Quality of life |
| Scientific title | |
| Study objectives | This project aims to evaluate the cost and effectiveness of an hospital based palliative care service on subsequent care of advanced cancer patients in the community, in terms of length of index hospital admission, and need for re-admission, quality of symptom control on discharge and at home, quality of life and functional status at home, patient and carer satisfaction, impact on general practitioner/district nurse workload, and eventual place of death. The effects of such a service on the professional satisfaction of the primary care team will also be assessed. The study will be a randomised controlled trial of two levels of intervention by the palliative care team in the United Bristol Healthcare Trust. Assessments will be undertaken both during the hospital admission and after discharge over a 5 month follow-up period or to death. |
| Ethics approval(s) | Not provided at time of registration |
| Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied | Symptoms and general pathology: Pain |
| Intervention | 1. The visiting service: (the usual service delivered by the Palliative Care Team.) Initial assessment by a specialist doctor/nurse with detailed advice about problems identified in patient's case notes. Follow-up by telephone and in-person consultations with patient, family and medical and nursing staff caring for patient. Liaison also with community-based health professions and palliative care outpatient follow-up if appropriate. Advice and support provided only but over and above the normal service provided to hospital patients. 2. The telephone service: A more limited form of intervention devised as the control. No direct contact between the Palliative Care Team and the patient or family. Telephone consultation took place within one working day of referral between a senior medical PCT member and the referring doctor and also between a clinical nurse specialist and a member of the ward nursing staff involved in the patient's care. A second telephone consultation could be made if necessary but with no further follow-up or advice offered. Patients randomised to either the visiting service or the telephone service in order to compare: pain, symptom control and global health-related 'quality of life'; satisfaction of patients, carers and health professionals; and use of health service resources. |
| Intervention type | Other |
| Primary outcome measure | Not provided at time of registration |
| Secondary outcome measures | Not provided at time of registration |
| Overall study start date | 01/01/2001 |
| Completion date | 31/12/2001 |
Eligibility
| Participant type(s) | Patient |
|---|---|
| Age group | Not Specified |
| Lower age limit | 18 Years |
| Sex | Not Specified |
| Target number of participants | Not provided at time of registration |
| Key inclusion criteria | 1. Patients 18 and over newly referred to PCT 2. Able to understand instructions and provide written consent within one day of referral 3. Physically and emotionally well enough to consider participating in a study and to reflect on their illness experience with a researcher 4. Not likely to be discharged with 24 hours of referral. PCT advice requested urgently 5. No strong preference expressed by the patient or patient's clinician for the visiting service of the PCT only 6. Aware of diagnosis 7. Willing to answer questions and be followed up for 4 weeks |
| Key exclusion criteria | Written consent not provided within one day of referral. |
| Date of first enrolment | 01/01/2001 |
| Date of final enrolment | 31/12/2001 |
Locations
Countries of recruitment
- England
- United Kingdom
Study participating centre
Department of Palliative Medicine
Bristol
BS2 8ED
United Kingdom
BS2 8ED
United Kingdom
Sponsor information
Record Provided by the NHS R&D 'Time-Limited' National Programme Register - Department of Health (UK)
Government
Government
The Department of Health
Richmond House
79 Whitehall
London
SW1A 2NL
United Kingdom
| Website | http://www.doh.gov.uk |
|---|
Funders
Funder type
Government
NHS Cancer National Research and Development Programme (UK)
No information available
Results and Publications
| Intention to publish date | |
|---|---|
| Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share | No |
| IPD sharing plan summary | Not provided at time of registration |
| Publication and dissemination plan | Not provided at time of registration |
| IPD sharing plan |
Study outputs
| Output type | Details | Date created | Date added | Peer reviewed? | Patient-facing? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results article | Results | 23/09/2002 | Yes | No |
