TY - JOUR
T1 - Advance care planning in primary care for patients with gastrointestinal cancer
T2 - feasibility randomised trial
AU - Canny, Anne
AU - Mason, Bruce
AU - Stephen, Jacqueline
AU - Hopkins, Samantha
AU - Wall, Lucy
AU - Christie, Alan
AU - Skipworth, Richard Je
AU - Bowden, Joanna
AU - Graham, Louise
AU - Kendall, Marilyn
AU - Weir, Christopher J
AU - Boyd, Kirsty
N1 - Funding: This study was funded by Macmillan Cancer Support (reference: 6488086). Christopher J Weir was also supported in this work by NHS Lothian via Edinburgh Clinical Trials Unit (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03719716).
PY - 2022/8/1
Y1 - 2022/8/1
N2 - Background Advance (anticipatory) care planning (ACP) requires discussions between patients and healthcare professionals about planning for future deterioration in health. ACP improves care coordination but uptake is limited and often deferred.Aim To assess the feasibility and acceptability to patients, carers, and GPs of a primary care ACP intervention for people with incurable oesophageal, gastric, or pancreatic cancer.Design and setting A 12-month feasibility randomised controlled trial (RCT) in a Scottish Cancer Network.Method Patients aged ≥18 years starting palliative oncology treatment were randomised 1:1 to an ACP intervention or standard care. Patients in the intervention group received an oncologist letter supporting them to request a GP review along with a patient information leaflet about ACP. Pre-specified analyses with masking included trial recruitment and retention, ACP completion, and quality-of-life questionnaires (EuroQol EQ-5D-5L and ICECAP Supportive Care Measure) at baseline, 6, 12, 24, and 48 weeks. Qualitative interviews with purposive sampling explored patient, carer, and GP experiences.Results Of 99 eligible participants (269 screened), 46% were recruited (n = 46) and randomised; 25 to intervention and 21 to control. By 12 weeks, 45% (n = 9/20) of the individuals in the intervention and 59% (n = 10/17) in the control group had a documented ACP plan. By 24 weeks, 30% (n = 14) had died; in the remaining participants quality of life was maintained at 24 weeks except for physical symptoms. Social norms associating ACP with dying were prevalent among 23 participants interviewed. No psychological or clinical harms were identified.Conclusion An RCT of ACP for people with incurable cancer in primary care is feasible. Patient, carer, and GP attitudes and behaviours determined acceptability and timing of care planning.
AB - Background Advance (anticipatory) care planning (ACP) requires discussions between patients and healthcare professionals about planning for future deterioration in health. ACP improves care coordination but uptake is limited and often deferred.Aim To assess the feasibility and acceptability to patients, carers, and GPs of a primary care ACP intervention for people with incurable oesophageal, gastric, or pancreatic cancer.Design and setting A 12-month feasibility randomised controlled trial (RCT) in a Scottish Cancer Network.Method Patients aged ≥18 years starting palliative oncology treatment were randomised 1:1 to an ACP intervention or standard care. Patients in the intervention group received an oncologist letter supporting them to request a GP review along with a patient information leaflet about ACP. Pre-specified analyses with masking included trial recruitment and retention, ACP completion, and quality-of-life questionnaires (EuroQol EQ-5D-5L and ICECAP Supportive Care Measure) at baseline, 6, 12, 24, and 48 weeks. Qualitative interviews with purposive sampling explored patient, carer, and GP experiences.Results Of 99 eligible participants (269 screened), 46% were recruited (n = 46) and randomised; 25 to intervention and 21 to control. By 12 weeks, 45% (n = 9/20) of the individuals in the intervention and 59% (n = 10/17) in the control group had a documented ACP plan. By 24 weeks, 30% (n = 14) had died; in the remaining participants quality of life was maintained at 24 weeks except for physical symptoms. Social norms associating ACP with dying were prevalent among 23 participants interviewed. No psychological or clinical harms were identified.Conclusion An RCT of ACP for people with incurable cancer in primary care is feasible. Patient, carer, and GP attitudes and behaviours determined acceptability and timing of care planning.
KW - Cancer
KW - Primary health care
KW - General practice
KW - Mixed methods
KW - Advance care planning
KW - Anticipatory care planning
U2 - 10.3399/bjgp.2021.0700
DO - 10.3399/bjgp.2021.0700
M3 - Article
SN - 0960-1643
VL - 72
SP - e571-e580
JO - British Journal of General Practice
JF - British Journal of General Practice
IS - 721
ER -