Study of Stepped Palliative Care in Patients With Advanced Lung Cancer DF/HCC SOCIAL-BEHAVIORAL RESERACH PROTOCOL

Patients with serious cancers, like advanced lung cancer, often experience physical symptoms, such as pain or shortness of breath. Both patients and their families often feel worried and/or sad about this diagnosis. Research has shown that early involvement of a team of clinicians that specialize in lessening (or palliating) many of these distressing physical and emotional symptoms, and in helping patients and their families' cope with serious illnesses, improves patients' quality of life and mood, and can help their loved ones' feel less depressed or sad. This team is called "palliative care," and consists of physicians and advanced practice nurses who work closely and collaboratively with the oncology team to care for the patient and their loved ones.

While the investigators know having palliative care clinicians care for patients along with their oncology team is helpful for the participant and their loved ones, the investigators do not know the optimal timing of the visits with palliative care.

The purpose of this study is to see if the investigators can closely monitor participants' health condition and quality of life and use these metrics as indications of when the participant should see the palliative care team.

This study will monitor participants' health condition and schedule the participant to see the palliative care team if the participants' cancer grows or after the participant have been admitted to the hospital. The investigators will also monitor participants' quality of life every six weeks and schedule the participant to see the palliative care monthly if the participant quality of life decreases during the study.

This study will also monitor participants' mood, coping, and understanding of the participant illness and prognosis. The investigators will ask the participant to fill out questionnaires asking about these topics every 12 weeks. The participant will be able to complete these questionnaires in clinic, via email, using a mailed paper copy, or over the phone with a member of the research team.