Web-Based Advance Care Planning for Patients With Advanced Cancer

July 14, 2026 updated by: Hai-Jou Shih, Tri-Service General Hospital (TSGH)

A Web-Based Advance Care Planning Intervention to Reduce Preferences for Aggressive Life-Sustaining Treatments in Patients With Advanced Cancer: A Randomized Controlled Trial

The goal of this clinical trial is to determine whether a web-based advance care planning (ACP) intervention can reduce preferences for aggressive life-sustaining treatments among patients with advanced cancer.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

  • Does a web-based ACP intervention reduce preferences for aggressive life-sustaining treatments among patients with advanced cancer?
  • Does a web-based ACP intervention support informed medical decision-making regarding future care?

Researchers will compare a web-based ACP intervention plus a Patient Right to Autonomy Act leaflet with a Patient Right to Autonomy Act leaflet alone to determine whether the web-based ACP intervention is more effective in reducing preferences for aggressive life-sustaining treatments.

Participants will:

  • Be randomly assigned to either an intervention group or a control group
  • Receive either a web-based ACP educational program plus a Patient Right to Autonomy Act leaflet, or a Patient Right to Autonomy Act leaflet alone
  • Complete questionnaires at baseline, immediately after the intervention, and one week after the intervention

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Advance care planning (ACP) is a process that enables individuals to understand and communicate their values, goals, and preferences regarding future medical care. ACP is particularly important for patients with advanced cancer, who may face complex decisions regarding life-sustaining treatments and end-of-life care. However, ACP participation remains limited, and innovative approaches are needed to improve patient engagement.

This study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of a web-based ACP intervention in reducing preferences for aggressive life-sustaining treatments among patients with advanced cancer. The intervention was developed to provide accessible ACP education and information regarding the Patient Right to Autonomy Act in Taiwan.

A single-blind randomized controlled trial design was used. A total of 110 patients with stage III or IV cancer were recruited and randomly assigned to either an intervention group (n = 55) or a control group (n = 55). Participants in the intervention group received a web-based ACP educational program in addition to a Patient Right to Autonomy Act leaflet, whereas participants in the control group received the leaflet alone.

Outcome assessments were conducted at baseline (T1), immediately after the intervention (T2), and one week after the intervention (T3). The primary objective was to determine whether the web-based ACP intervention reduced preferences for aggressive life-sustaining treatments. The study also examined factors associated with treatment preferences and medical decision-making.

The findings of this study may contribute to the development of accessible ACP interventions and support informed decision-making among patients with advanced cancer.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
110

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Taiwan
    • Taipei City
      • Taipei, Taipei City, Taiwan
        • Tri-Service General Hospital

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Diagnosed with advanced cancer (stage III or IV)
  • Aged 18 years or older
  • Able to communicate fluently in Mandarin Chinese or Taiwanese
  • Able and willing to provide informed consent
  • No cognitive impairment
  • Have access to Internet-connected electronic devices at home
  • Have not previously received advance care planning (ACP) consultation
  • Have not completed an advance directive (AD)

Exclusion Criteria:

  • No access to Internet-connected electronic devices at home
  • Unable to operate Internet-based electronic devices
  • Previous participation in ACP consultation or completion of an AD
  • Cognitive impairment
  • Severe physical or psychological symptoms that would interfere with participation in the study
  • Concurrent participation in another intervention study
  • Refusal to participate

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Web-Based ACP Intervention Group
Participants received a web-based advance care planning (ACP) educational program in addition to a Patient Right to Autonomy Act leaflet.
Behavioral: Web-Based Advance Care Planning Program
A web-based educational program designed to improve advance care planning knowledge, promote informed decision-making, and facilitate discussions regarding future medical care among patients with advanced cancer.
Other: Patient Right to Autonomy Act Leaflet
An educational leaflet providing information about the Patient Right to Autonomy Act and advance care planning.
Other: Control Group
Participants received a Patient Right to Autonomy Act leaflet only.
Other: Patient Right to Autonomy Act Leaflet
An educational leaflet providing information about the Patient Right to Autonomy Act and advance care planning.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Preference for Aggressive Life-Sustaining Treatments
Time Frame: Baseline and 1 Week After Intervention
Preferences for aggressive life-sustaining treatments were assessed using the Life-Sustaining Treatment Preference Questionnaire. Higher scores indicate stronger preferences for aggressive life-sustaining treatments. Changes from baseline were compared between the intervention and control groups.
Baseline and 1 Week After Intervention

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Tri-Service General Hospital (TSGH)

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Study Director: Hsueh-Hsing Pan, PhD, National Defense Medical University
  • Principal Investigator: Yu-Shiue Lin, National Defense Medical University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
October 16, 2023

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
January 22, 2024

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
January 22, 2024

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
July 14, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 14, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
July 17, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
July 17, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 14, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
July 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • TSGHIRB No. A202305148
  • TSGH_E_113274 (Other Grant/Funding Number: Tri-Service General Hospital)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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