Revealing Information Genuinely & Honestly Across Time: Pediatric Oncology Stakeholder Preferences and Recommendations for Prognostic Communication

This study is being conducted to better understand the preferences and recommendations of patients and parents regarding optimal ways to share prognostic communication. Specifically, to learn what stakeholders (i.e., patients, parents, and doctors) believe to be the "right" content, timing, and delivery of this important information.

Specific Aim 1

• To define key stakeholder preferences and recommendations for timing, content, and delivery of prognostic communication across the advancing illness course and bereavement.

Specific Aim 2

• To engage stakeholders in the design of a patient/parent centered RIGHTime framework and communication intervention to promote individualized, timely prognostic disclosure.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Communication; Pediatric Cancer

Detailed Description

This study will have two phases.

Phase 1:

Investigators will define key stakeholder preferences and recommendations for timing, content, and delivery of prognostic communication across the advancing illness course and bereavement. Eligible parents and patients will participate in semi-structured interviews on prognostic communication preferences, stratified by cohort: poor-prognosis diagnosis, advancing disease, phase I/II trial enrollment, and bereavement; eligible oncologists will complete interviews on prognostic disclosure preferences. Participants will participate in a single interview that will last anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes.The interview will be audio-recorded and transcribed. Participant demographic and social determinants of health information will be collected.

Phase 2:

Investigators will partner with a smaller group of stakeholders (parents, patients, and oncologist) from phase 1 to develop a clinical communication guide to help improve communication between patients, families, and cancer doctors. The panel will meet across 4 sessions to develop a conceptual framework that explains the interconnecting variables influencing stakeholder preferences and to design a prognostic communication intervention (i.e., a RIGHTime communication guide) that encourages oncologists to provide individualized, timely prognostic disclosure.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Estimated): 90

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Erica C. Kaye, MD, MPH; Phone Number: 866-278-5833; Email: referralinfo@stjude.org

Study Locations

• United States
  • Tennessee
    • Memphis, Tennessee, United States, 38105
      • Recruiting
      • St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
      • Contact: Erica C. Kaye, MD, MPH; Phone Number: 866-278-5833; Email: referralinfo@stjude.org

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 12 years and older (Child, Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Patients, parents and Oncologist meeting the eligibility criteria.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

Patients

• Aged 12-25 years
• Recent diagnosis (< 3 months) of a poor prognosis cancer with an estimated survival of 50% or less by the primary oncologist (cohort 1) OR recent history of disease relapse/progression within the past 3 months (cohort 2) OR active enrollment on a phase I/II trial (cohort 3).
• English-speaking

Parents

• Aged 18 years or older
• Parent (or legal caregiver) of a child with cancer of any age who meets the above criteria for cohorts 1-3 OR of a child who died from cancer 6-24 months from enrollment (cohort 4).
• English-speaking

Oncologists

• Pediatric oncologists who treat patients at SJCRH or who refer patients for treatment to SJCRH

Exclusion Criteria:

• Does not meet the inclusion criteria.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

3

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Patients; Three distinct sub-cohorts will be targeted for recruitment to represent perspectives across the advancing illness course: patients ≤3 months from a poor- prognosis diagnosis (cohort 1), patients ≤ 3 months from disease relapse or progression (cohort 2), and patients actively enrolled on a phase I/II trials (cohort 3).For cohorts 1-3, patient-parent dyads will be enrolled when eligible; however, an independent patient is eligible for enrollment if the parent consents for the patient's enrollment but declines his/her own enrollment.
Parents; Four distinct sub-cohorts of parents will be targeted for recruitment, including cohorts 1-3 and a fourth bereavement cohort. For cohorts 1-3, patient-parent dyads will be enrolled when eligible; however, an independent parent is eligible for enrollment if the patient declines enrollment, but the parent wishes to participate.
Oncologist; Pediatric oncologists who treat or refer patients for treatment at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (SJCRH) will be eligible to participate.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Variables influencing stakeholder preferences	We will use a participatory design approach with user-centered design methods, we will convene a Stakeholder Panel comprising patients, parents, oncologists, and researchers that will meet across 4 sessions to develop a conceptual framework that explains the interconnecting variables influencing stakeholder preferences and to design a prognostic communication intervention (i.e., a RIGHTime communication guide) that encourages oncologists to provide individualized, timely prognostic disclosure.	After completion of all interviews; 4 sessions over a period of approximately 1-2 years
Prognostic Communication Preferences	We will use the rapid analysis (RA) qualitative approach for analysis of interview transcripts methods to define patient, parent, and oncologist preferences and recommendations with respect to timing, content, and delivery of prognostic communication at varying timepoints across the advancing illness course.	Within 60 days of enrollment

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Erica C. Kaye, MD, MPH, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

Publications and helpful links

Helpful Links

• St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
• Clinical Trials Open at St. Jude

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): June 18, 2022
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 1, 2025
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 1, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: November 1, 2021
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 1, 2021
• First Posted (Actual): November 11, 2021

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 8, 2024
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 4, 2024
• Last Verified: April 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Children; Caregiver; Parents; Young Adults; Oncologist; Bereavement; Prognostic Communication; Advanced Pediatric Cancer
• Other Study ID Numbers: RIGHTime; NCI-2021-12350 (Registry Identifier: NCI Clinical Trial Registration Program)

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No