End-of-life Communication From a Chinese Perspective

Development and Evaluation of a Culturally Specific End-of-life Communication Skills Training for Chinese Oncology Nurses

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.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Terminally Ill
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Not Application as this is a qualitative study

Detailed Description

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.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 66

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• China
  • Zhejiang
    • Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China, 310000
      • Zhejiang Cancer Hospital

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Terminally ill patients (whose likely life expectancies of fewer than 12 months), families and healthcare providers of such patients

Description

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

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

1

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort	Intervention / Treatment
1; Interviewees: terminally ill patients, families and healthcare providers of such patients	Other: Not Application as this is a qualitative study; Not Application as this is a qualitative study

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Qualitative data and participants basic information	Interviews and focus group discussions will be conducted to collect qualitative data	Through study completion, an average of 12 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Joyce Chung, PhD, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): May 4, 2023
• Primary Completion (Actual): October 31, 2023
• Study Completion (Actual): October 31, 2023

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 9, 2023
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 9, 2023
• First Posted (Actual): February 21, 2023

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimated): November 4, 2024
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 31, 2024
• Last Verified: October 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Adult; Communication; Health personnel; Terminally ill
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pathologic Processes; Death
• Other Study ID Numbers: HSEARS20221217002

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

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