Patient Journey in Palliative Care Within the NOVO Hospital Group. (NOVOPAL)

March 26, 2026 updated by: Hôpital NOVO

A Descriptive and Analytical Study of Patients Who Died in 2024 While Receiving Palliative Care at NOVO Hospital: Patient Characteristics and Implications for General Practice?

This retrospective descriptive study aims to describe the sociodemographic, clinical, and organizational characteristics of patients identified as receiving palliative care who died in 2024 within the NOVO Hospital network.

Data from medical records will include patient characteristics, involvement of general practitioners, use of palliative care services, healthcare utilization, and conditions of death.

The study hypothesizes that improved characterization of these patients and their care trajectories will help identify opportunities for earlier palliative care referral and better coordination between hospital and community care.

Study Overview

Status

Active, not recruiting

Conditions

Detailed Description

Population aging and the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases and frailty have led to a growing demand for palliative care. End-of-life trajectories are frequently complex and involve multiple transitions between hospital care, home, and long-term care facilities. In many healthcare systems, a large proportion of healthcare expenditures in the last months of life is related to hospitalizations. A better understanding of the characteristics and care pathways of patients receiving palliative care is therefore essential to improve the organization and coordination of end-of-life care.

In France, general practitioners play a key role in the follow-up of patients and in coordinating care between hospital and community settings. However, the identification of palliative care needs and the timing of referral to specialized palliative care services remain heterogeneous. Improved knowledge of patient profiles and care trajectories may help identify opportunities to strengthen collaboration between hospital teams and primary care physicians.

This retrospective monocentric descriptive study will analyze patients identified as receiving palliative care who died in 2024 within the NOVO Hospital network. Data will be extracted from the medical record system and anonymized prior to analysis.

Collected variables will include sociodemographic characteristics, clinical information such as comorbidities, level of autonomy, and data related to the organization of care. Particular attention will be given to the involvement of general practitioners, the use of specialized palliative care teams, and access to home-based care services. The study will also examine healthcare utilization in the last months of life, including hospital admissions and emergency department visits, as well as end-of-life conditions such as the place of death, the presence of advance directives, and the use of continuous deep sedation.

By describing patient profiles and care trajectories, this study aims to identify potential factors associated with healthcare utilization and to highlight opportunities to improve early palliative care identification and coordination between hospital and community care.

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

286

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

  • France
      • Pontoise, France, 95300
        • Hospital Novo

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

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Patients who died between January 1, 2024, and December 31, 2024, in the hospital or in their personal living space (home, nursing home...)

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Patients who died between January 1, 2024, and December 31, 2024, in the hospital or in their personal living space (home, nursing home...)
  • Having "palliative care" status in their medical record
  • Receiving care at one of the six NOVO hospital sites (Pontoise, Magny-en-Vexin, Beaumont-sur-Oise, Marines, Saint-Martin-du-Tertre, Aincourt)
  • Whether or not they were followed by a mobile palliative care team

Exclusion Criteria:

None

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

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Characteristics of patients identified as receiving palliative care who died in 2024 within the NOVO Hospital network
Time Frame: Through study completion, an average of 3 months
Description of the sociodemographic, clinical, and organizational characteristics of patients identified as receiving palliative care, including age, sex, living situation, level of autonomy, primary disease, comorbidities, presence of advance directives, and existence of a documented care plan.
Through study completion, an average of 3 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Place of death and concordance with patient preferences
Time Frame: Through study completion, an average of 3 months
Assessment of the actual place of death (hospital, home, nursing home or other setting) and comparison with the place of death expressed in advance directives or documented care plans when available
Through study completion, an average of 3 months
Involvement of general practitioners in palliative care management
Time Frame: Through study completion, an average of 3 months
Evaluation of the presence of a primary care physician and their involvement in the patient's palliative care pathway, including participation in care planning and coordination with hospital teams
Through study completion, an average of 3 months
Healthcare utilization in the last months of life
Time Frame: At the end of the study, an average of 3 months
Number of hospital admissions and emergency department visits during the last six months of life
At the end of the study, an average of 3 months
Timing of referral to palliative care
Time Frame: Through study completion, an average of 3 months
Time interval between the identification of a palliative situation and the first contact with palliative care services.
Through study completion, an average of 3 months
Explore ways to improve the early identification of palliative care needs and ensure continuity of care between home and hospital
Time Frame: Through study completion, an average of 3 months
Time between the date of death and the start of palliative care
Through study completion, an average of 3 months

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Hôpital NOVO

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Mathilde BRUN, Doctor, NOVO
  • Principal Investigator: Thomas AKPAN, Doctor, NOVO

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)

January 5, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

March 31, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

March 31, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

March 18, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 26, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

April 1, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

April 1, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 26, 2026

Last Verified

March 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • CHRD1825 (Other Identifier: HOSPITAL NOVO)

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.

Clinical Trials on Palliative Care

Search Similar Trials

Sponsors and Collaborators

Medical Conditions

Drug Interventions

CROs by country

CROs in Slovenia

Conditions

Rare Diseases

Drug Interventions

Dietary Supplements

Sponsor/Collaborators

Locations

Subscribe