Effects of Repeated Decision Making Among Surrogates of Seriously Ill Patients
27 de enero de 2015 actualizado por: Scott Halpern, University of Pennsylvania
Pilot Study of Repeated Decision Making in Surrogates
Decision making capacity fatigues after repeated decisions similar to skeletal muscle.
The result is decision fatigue, in which subsequent decisions are altered toward the status quo.
Surrogates are at risk for decision fatigue yet it has not been studied.
We propose a randomized study in the outpatient setting in surrogates and patients at high risk for needing to make complex decisions, in an effort to determine the impact of decision fatigue on surrogate self-control and subsequent choices.
Descripción general del estudio
Estado
Terminado
Condiciones
Intervención / Tratamiento
Descripción detallada
Just as skeletal muscle fatigues after repeated use, decision-making capacity fatigues when repeated choices are made.
This phenomenon, in which people experience diminished concentration and willpower after repeated decision-making, is termed decision fatigue.
People experiencing decision fatigue are more likely to bias subsequent choices toward the status quo.
By choosing the status quo, the decision-maker reserves the option to make an alternate choice at a later time, thereby preserving possibilities.
Patients and their surrogates often make complex medical decisions for which they may have little experience.
Although clearly at high risk, decision fatigue has not been studied in this population.
To elucidate these questions, we propose a four-arm study of surrogates and patients in a population at high risk for making complex decisions.
Surrogates will be randomly assigned to varied levels of decision making effort to assess for the development of resultant decision fatigue and whether it alters subsequent decisions.
Tipo de estudio
Intervencionista
Inscripción (Actual)
132
Fase
- No aplica
Contactos y Ubicaciones
Esta sección proporciona los datos de contacto de quienes realizan el estudio e información sobre dónde se lleva a cabo este estudio.
Ubicaciones de estudio
-
-
Pennsylvania
-
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Estados Unidos, 19104
- Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
-
-
Criterios de participación
Los investigadores buscan personas que se ajusten a una determinada descripción, denominada criterio de elegibilidad. Algunos ejemplos de estos criterios son el estado de salud general de una persona o tratamientos previos.
Criterio de elegibilidad
Edades elegibles para estudiar
18 años y mayores (Adulto, Adulto Mayor)
Acepta Voluntarios Saludables
No
Géneros elegibles para el estudio
Todos
Descripción
Inclusion Criteria:
- Patients must have one of the following diagnoses: aplastic anemia, multiple myeloma, myelodysplastic syndrome, acute myeloid leukemia, stage IIIB or IV lung cancer, mesothelioma and/or stage IIIB or IV gastrointestinal cancer (pancreatic, biliary, esophageal, gastric, hepatocellular, colon), stage IV melanoma.
- Patients must have at least one surrogate at their clinic visit who is willing to enroll with them as a pair to be included.
- Surrogates are eligible if an eligible patient identifies them as as a surrogate and both consent for the study.
- All participants must be over the age 18
- All participants must be fluent in English
Exclusion Criteria:
- Patients and surrogates will be excluded if they are illiterate or have a medical condition known to alter Stroop performance. These include individuals who are visually impaired such that they cannot read a computer screen, blind or colorblind, patients given sedating medications during their appointment and individuals with past medical history of cerebrovascular accident, transient ischemic attack (TIA), seizure disorder, dementia or traumatic head injury with loss of consciousness.
- Patients will be ineligible if they have either tracheostomy or are currently on hemodialysis as these would significantly alter responses to the mechanical ventilation hypothetical scenario and the hypothetical life sustaining therapy question.
- Surrogates and patients are ineligible if their paired participant is excluded for any of the above reasons.
Plan de estudios
Esta sección proporciona detalles del plan de estudio, incluido cómo está diseñado el estudio y qué mide el estudio.
¿Cómo está diseñado el estudio?
Detalles de diseño
- Asignación: Aleatorizado
- Modelo Intervencionista: Asignación paralela
- Enmascaramiento: Único
Armas e Intervenciones
Grupo de participantes/brazo |
Intervención / Tratamiento |
|---|---|
|
Sin intervención: DLST Only
Surrogates will complete the Stroop test then answer the hypothetical life sustaining therapy (LST)
|
|
|
Experimental: Contemplate only
Surrogates will contemplate each of the 3 scenarios but not make any decisions, then complete the Stroop test and answer the hypothetical LST question
|
Surrogates are exposed to three hypothetical medical scenarios that require varying levels of decision making.
We will be assessing how this experience alters their subsequent choice to forego life sustaining therapy.
|
|
Experimental: Decide with advice
Surrogates will make decisions on 4 scenarios with physician advice, then complete the Stroop test and answer the hypothetical LST question.
Within this arm, surrogates will receive two positive recommendations (i.e. to go ahead with the intervention) and two negative recommendations (i.e. to decline the intervention).
These positive and negative recommendations will be randomly assigned upon study enrollment.
With four hypothetical scenarios, there are six possible options for recommendation variations.
|
Surrogates are exposed to three hypothetical medical scenarios that require varying levels of decision making.
We will be assessing how this experience alters their subsequent choice to forego life sustaining therapy.
|
|
Experimental: Decide without advice
Surrogates will make decisions on 4 scenarios without physician advice, then complete the Stroop test and the hypothetical LST question.
|
Surrogates are exposed to three hypothetical medical scenarios that require varying levels of decision making.
We will be assessing how this experience alters their subsequent choice to forego life sustaining therapy.
|
¿Qué mide el estudio?
Medidas de resultado primarias
Medida de resultado |
Medida Descripción |
Periodo de tiempo |
|---|---|---|
|
Stroop Test Score
Periodo de tiempo: Approximately 15 minutes
|
Measurement of score will be done at the conclusion of instrument completion.
The Stroop test is a standard measure of self control that requires three tasks.
The last task is the most difficult where the participant must suppress the urge to read the word which is the easier task and instead say the color it is printed in.
Standard scoring is the number correct in the Word trial minus the Color-Word trials.
This data will be collected immediately following completion.
|
Approximately 15 minutes
|
Medidas de resultado secundarias
Medida de resultado |
Medida Descripción |
Periodo de tiempo |
|---|---|---|
|
Evidence of status quo bias
Periodo de tiempo: Approximately 10 minutes
|
Evidence of status quo bias as assessed by hypothetical decision to limit life sustaining therapy or to continue treatment.
To assess for status quo bias, we will use the following technique: after the initial four hypothetical questions and Stroop testing, participants will be asked a hypothetical question about life sustaining therapy (LST).
In the question, continuing life sustaining therapy will be counted as maintaining the status quo.
This is based on current norms in American health care where life sustaining therapy is continued until a patient or surrogate specifically request otherwise.
|
Approximately 10 minutes
|
Colaboradores e Investigadores
Aquí es donde encontrará personas y organizaciones involucradas en este estudio.
Patrocinador
Investigadores
- Investigador principal: Scott D. Halpern, MD, PhD, University of Pennsylvania
Publicaciones y enlaces útiles
La persona responsable de ingresar información sobre el estudio proporciona voluntariamente estas publicaciones. Estos pueden ser sobre cualquier cosa relacionada con el estudio.
Fechas de registro del estudio
Estas fechas rastrean el progreso del registro del estudio y los envíos de resultados resumidos a ClinicalTrials.gov. Los registros del estudio y los resultados informados son revisados por la Biblioteca Nacional de Medicina (NLM) para asegurarse de que cumplan con los estándares de control de calidad específicos antes de publicarlos en el sitio web público.
Fechas importantes del estudio
Inicio del estudio
1 de noviembre de 2012
Finalización primaria (Actual)
1 de abril de 2013
Finalización del estudio (Actual)
1 de abril de 2013
Fechas de registro del estudio
Enviado por primera vez
1 de noviembre de 2012
Primero enviado que cumplió con los criterios de control de calidad
5 de noviembre de 2012
Publicado por primera vez (Estimar)
7 de noviembre de 2012
Actualizaciones de registros de estudio
Última actualización publicada (Estimar)
29 de enero de 2015
Última actualización enviada que cumplió con los criterios de control de calidad
27 de enero de 2015
Última verificación
1 de enero de 2015
Más información
Términos relacionados con este estudio
Palabras clave
Otros números de identificación del estudio
- 816697
Esta información se obtuvo directamente del sitio web clinicaltrials.gov sin cambios. Si tiene alguna solicitud para cambiar, eliminar o actualizar los detalles de su estudio, comuníquese con register@clinicaltrials.gov. Tan pronto como se implemente un cambio en clinicaltrials.gov, también se actualizará automáticamente en nuestro sitio web. .