Pilot Trial of Spiritual Care Interventions for Patients With Cancer

Pilot Trial of Spiritual Care Interventions for Patients With Cancer

This is a pilot trial of the effects of spiritual care interventions on spiritual well-being and readiness to engage in advance care planning (ACP) among black patients with advanced cancer recruited from outpatient settings to determine the feasibility of conducting a larger trial of effects of early integration of spiritual care into outpatient oncology care on patient outcomes.

This will be a pilot, stratified block randomized controlled trial of the effects of healthcare chaplain services on spiritual well-being and advance care planning (ACP) among black advanced cancer patients (N=64) in outpatient settings at two medical institutions: NYP/Brooklyn Methodist Hospital (BMH) and the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB). The investigators will randomly assign patients in a 1:1 ratio to either the Spiritual Care Intervention #1 or Spiritual Care Intervention #2 arm of the trial. Intervention details are being withheld until the trial concludes to protect the scientific integrity of the study. Trial outcomes will be assessed at the primary endpoint, 2 months after the onset of the spiritual care intervention.

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Diagnosed with a life-limiting, advanced cancer.
2. Identifies racially as black or African American.
3. Is fluent in English.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Have received medical system-based spiritual care within the past 2 months.
2. Have already completed a DNR order.
3. Are too weak or cognitively impaired to engage in study activities