Patient and Family Participation in Hospice Meetings

This research project will test the outcomes of an intervention designed to strengthen hospice care for cancer patients by enabling patient/family participation in interdisciplinary teams (IDTs) through use of a commercially available videophone. Approximately 45 cancer patients (intervention group) will receive the intervention, and 45 cancer patients will serve as the control. All patients (n=55) will receive an incentive and the hospice agency will be reimbursed for its participation. The exploratory study will occur in collaboration with the St. Johns Hospice operating in Springfield, MO, and in conjunction with a team of researchers from the University of Missouri (Oliver, School of Social Work; Demiris, Department of Health Management and Informatics; Zweig, School of Medicine/Department of Family and Community Medicine; Rantz, School of Nursing), and consultants from the University of Nevada-Las Vegas (Wittenberg-Lyles) and the University of Nottingham-UK (Porock/Collier).

The study will:

1. Permit testing of intervention logistics;
2. Identify sampling and recruitment issues;
3. Assess a qualitative methodology; and
4. Measure the appropriateness of the specific instruments.

The proposed exploratory research uses a mixed-method approach with qualitative and quantitative methods in a parallel and equal status design. This mixed-method design will measure the outcomes of collaborative and synchronous communication between all disciplines, the patient, and the family in a team meeting forum. The experience and knowledge obtained from this exploratory study will lead to a multi-phase clinical trial for the intervention with more hospice programs and across palliative care settings.

For more information, contact:
Debra Parker Oliver, MSW, PhD

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