Group Advanced Care Planning Pilot for Veterans

Group Advanced Care Planning Pilot for Veterans

The proposed research aims to engage participants in group educational sessions to facilitate learning of topics related to advanced care planning and to determine whether this approach is more effective than usual care alone.

The purpose of this study is to compare usual care against a group advanced care planning intervention comprised of two sessions led by trained community health workers or health educators from VA Palo Alto. A total of 60 participants will be randomly assigned to either usual care (n=30) or usual care + group advanced care planning intervention (n=30). Usual care includes written, mailed educational materials about advanced care planning that patients may review independently. Those in the group advanced care planning arm will receive usual care along with the written materials and will participate in two 60-90 minute educational sessions led by a community health worker that will either be conducted in person on-site or by VA-approved video conference or a hybrid model. Topics will include an introduction to advanced care planning, goals of care topics, advance directives, and physicians order of life sustaining treatment. Both usual care and the group advanced care planning arms will also participate in pre/post surveys and/or interviews.

Inclusion Criteria:

1. All patients >18 years old with newly diagnosed cancer are eligible.
2. Patients must have the ability to understand and willingness to provide verbal consent
3. Participants must speak English

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Inability to consent to the study
2. Plans to move within the area and leave the VA system within 4 months