Removing Transfusion Dependence as a Barrier to Hospice Enrollment

Part of paid clinical trials in Providence, Rhode Island.

Sponsor
Adam Olszewski
Study ID
NCT05063591
Status
Completed

Conditions

Eligibility Criteria

Sex
ALL
Age
18 Years - N/A
Healthy Volunteers
Not accepted

Interventions

  • Transfusion support — OTHER
    Patients will be offered symptom-driven transfusion support in addition to standard hospice care

Study Details

Hospice care at the end of life (EOL) includes a multidisciplinary team that helps patients and families focus on symptom control and quality of life. For patients with "solid" (e.g. lung, breast) cancers it has been shown to improve quality of life for both patients and families. Unfortunately, patients with blood cancers (e.g. leukemia, lymphoma) often delay their enrollment and receive more aggressive care at the EOL. One factor in this delay is the inability for patients to receive blood transfusions while on hospice. Patients with blood cancers often require frequent blood transfusions near the EOL for symptom control. The structure of Medicare hospice benefit makes coverage for transfusions financially unfeasible for hospice agencies, and therefore patients with blood cancers will delay enrollment onto hospice in order to continue to receive blood transfusions. The objective of this study is to evaluate whether removing this financial burden, through external funding of blood transfusions for patients while on hospice, will encourage patients with blood cancers to enroll on hospice earlier and ultimately improve their and their caregivers EOL care.

Key Dates

Start date
Jul 9, 2021
Status verified
Dec 2025
Primary completion
Dec 31, 2023
Completion
Dec 31, 2023

Study Design

Enrollment
18 participants (actual)
Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Arms

  • Experimental: Intervention arm
    Patients with aggressive hematologic malignancies who are hospice eligible, not pursuing further cancer directed therapy, and whose primary hematologist is planning to initiate a conversation regarding transition to hospice will be eligible for enrollment.

Primary Outcome Measure

Proportion of Eligible Patients Choosing to Participate in the Care Model Under Study Rather Than Standard of Care. [ Time Frame: Through study completion, on average 2 years ]

Locations (1)

FacilityCityStateZIP
Rhode Island HospitalProvidenceRhode Island02903

Find similar trials in Providence, RI

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By specialty
OncologyBlood cancer
By research site
Rhode Island Hospital· Providence, RI

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