SUPPORT-T in Patients With Progressive Pulmonary Fibrosis and Their Caregivers

Feasibility and Acceptability of a Mobile Application "SUPPORT-T" to Increase Equitable Access to Palliative Care in Patients With Progressive Pulmonary Fibrosis (PPF) and Their Caregivers

This pilot randomized controlled trial evaluates the feasibility, acceptability, and accessibility of SUPPORT-T, a digitally delivered palliative care intervention for patients with Progressive Pulmonary Fibrosis (PPF) and their caregivers. The intervention includes a 9-week digital application guided by a nurse interventionist and quarterly virtual support groups over one year. Participants will be recruited from rural South Carolina and urban New York City. The study compares SUPPORT-T to Enhanced Usual Care and aims to inform a future multi-site trial.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Interstitial Lung Disease; Progressive Pulmonary Fibrosis
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: SUPPORT-T Educational Intervention

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 170
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Kathleen Lindell, PhD, RN, ATSF, FAAN; Phone Number: (843) 792-9763; Email: lindellk@musc.edu

Study Locations

• United States
  • South Carolina
    • Charleston, South Carolina, United States, 29425
      • Recruiting
      • Medical University of South Carolina
      • Contact: Kathleen Lindell, PhD, RN, ATSF, FAAN; Phone Number: (843) 792-9763; Email: lindellk@musc.edu
      • Contact: Mary Chris Pittman, BA; Phone Number: 8432594689; Email: pittmama@musc.edu
      • Principal Investigator: Kathleen Lindell, PhD, RN, ATSF, FAAN

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Adults ≥18 years
• Confirmed diagnosis of PPF
• English or Spanish speaking

Caregiver Inclusion Criteria:

• adult, ≥ 18 years old
• Designated and identified by patient as providing most of the emotional, financial, and/or physical support (i.e., the individual most involved in care, does not have to live with patient)
• Able to speak and understand English.

Exclusion Criteria:

-

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: SUPPORT-T Intervention Arm; Participants in the intervention arm will have a telehealth preparatory visit scheduled 1 week later (Week 2) with the Study Coordinator and will be provided with the study number to call with questions. SUPPORT-T will be delivered biweekly at TeleHealth Visits 1-4 via a secure interface via MUSC telehealth platform. The nurse interventionist will receive results from the REDCap survey after each TH visit and contact the patient biweekly after each TH visit using the MUSC Telehealth and/or Health platform. The nurse interventionist will be available for any questions and communicate with the participants via bi-directional texts (SC will maintain a log of those texts). • All participants will complete questionnaires at Week 1, Week 9, Month 6, and Month 12	Other: SUPPORT-T Educational Intervention; SUPPORT-T will be delivered biweekly at TeleHealth Visits 1-4 via a secure interface via MUSC telehealth platform. The nurse interventionist will receive results from the REDCap survey after each TH visit and contact the patient biweekly after each TH visit using the MUSC Telehealth and/or Health platform. The nurse interventionist will be available for any questions and communicate with the participants via bi-directional texts (SC will maintain a log of those texts)
No Intervention: Enhanced Usual Care Control Group; Participants in the enhanced usual care arm will receive printed education materials from the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF) and the nurse interventionist's contact information.; All participants will complete questionnaires at Week 1, Week 9, Month 6, and Month 12

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Feasibility of Disease Preparedness	Feasibility outcomes include number of participants recruited weekly, number of participants who declined, and number of participants who did not meet eligibility requirements, data collection procedures, and participant responses. Feasibility data will inform future studies on approaches for recruitment and retention, study procedures, and timing and participant capacity to complete surveys/interviews.	10 months
Disease Preparedness Feasibility	Feasibility outcomes include number of participants recruited weekly, number of participants who declined, and number of participants who did not meet eligibility requirements, data collection procedures, and participant responses. Feasibility data will inform future studies on approaches for recruitment and retention, study procedures, and timing and participant capacity to complete surveys/interviews.	10 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Medical University of South Carolina
• Collaborators: National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): January 13, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): September 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): October 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: November 25, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 25, 2025
• First Posted (Actual): December 8, 2025

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): February 2, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 29, 2026
• Last Verified: August 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Education; Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD)
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Respiratory Tract Diseases; Lung Diseases; Lung Diseases, Interstitial
• Other Study ID Numbers: Pro00146761

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

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

Drug and device information, study documents

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