Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Recruiting

NCT Number: NCT07263074

Considering alloHCT: Opportunities for Patient Reflection During Decision-Making Via Digital Stories

This is a two-arm pilot randomized trial that assesses the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a digital story and values clarification intervention (Considering alloHCT: Opportunities for Patient Reflection During Decision-Making via Digital Stories [CHORDS]) compared to usual care among patients with myeloid cancers considering allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (alloHCT).

Recruiting

Interested in participating?

Request Info

Key information

Conditions

Myeloid Malignancy

Age range

21 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

University of Rochester

Rochester, New York, 14642, United States

Location status: Recruiting

Location contact

Rachel Rodenbach

CONTACT

[email protected]

585-275-5830

Rachel Rodenbach

PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

About this study

Our proposed intervention is Considering alloHCT: Opportunities for Patient Reflection During Decision-Making via Digital Stories (CHORDS), which includes: 1) real-life digital stories of individuals with similar experiences who previously underwent consultation for allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation and their caregivers and 2) explicit values clarification exercises designed to help patients reflect on their emotions and clarify what matters to them, including a) an interactive workbook, and b) best-worst scaling. Together, they help patients reflect on their values and prioritize their own needs and goals, enhance emotional awareness, and gain experiential knowledge from peers to better understand the real-life implications of treatment risks and benefits.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Patients

Inclusion criteria

  • Age >21 years old
  • Diagnosis of myeloid cancer (e.g. AML, MDS, myelofibrosis, CML, or MDS/MPN)
  • Being considered for alloHCT
  • Able to provide informed consent
  • Able to speak English. The reason for this is because the digital stories have been created in the English language and their multimedia form cannot easily be translated.

Exclusion criteria

1) Patients with psychiatric or cognitive conditions which the hematologist believes prohibits informed consent or compliance with study procedures

Caregivers

Inclusion criteria

  • Age >18 years old
  • Selected by the patient when asked if there is a "family member, partner, friend or caregiver with whom you discuss or who can be helpful in health-related matters."
  • Caregiver may be paid/professional or informal caregiver
  • Able to provide informed consent
  • Able to speak English

Exclusion criteria

  • None

Hematologists

Inclusion criteria

  • Hematologists of the patients who agree to enroll on the study who are part of WCI.

Exclusion criteria

  • None

Treatment and study plan

CHORDS

Other

The CHORDS intervention consists of 1) digital stories created by individuals who previously underwent consultation for alloHCT and 2) explicit values clarification exercises designed to help patients reflect on their emotions and clarify what matters to them, including a) an interactive workbook, and b) best-worst scaling (BWS).

Primary outcomes

  1. Percentage of Participants Retained (Feasibility - Retention Rate)

    Time frame: From enrollment (Day -30 to Day 0) to 2 weeks post-alloHCT office visit (Day 9-19)

    Feasibility will be assessed based on the percentage of enrolled participants who complete both the intervention and post-intervention secondary outcome assessments. The number of participants who complete all study procedures will be divided by the total number enrolled to calculate the retention rate. Higher percentages indicate greater feasibility.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Mean Change in Decisional Engagement Scale Score

    Time frame: Baseline (Day -30 to Day 0) to 2 weeks post-alloHCT office visit (Day 9-19)

    Engagement in decision making will be assessed using the Decisional Engagement Scale, a self-reported measure evaluating patient involvement and perceived shared decision making. A single score will be derived according to scale instructions. Higher scores indicate greater engagement in decision making. There are 10 items in the scale, with each items score ranging from 0 to 10 (range 0-100 for the entire scale).

  2. Mean Change in Decisional Conflict Scale Score

    Time frame: Baseline (Day -30 to Day 0) to 2 weeks post-alloHCT office visit (Day 9-19)

    Decisional conflict will be assessed using the Decisional Conflict Scale, a validated self-report instrument that measures personal uncertainty in making health-related decisions. The total score is derived by averaging item responses according to the scoring manual (range 0-100). Higher scores indicate greater decisional conflict (worse outcome), while lower scores indicate less conflict (improvement).

  3. Mean Change in Distress Thermometer Score

    Time frame: Baseline (Day -30 to Day 0) to 2 weeks post-alloHCT office visit (Day 9-19)

    Psychological distress will be measured using the NCCN Distress Thermometer, a single-item visual analog scale ranging from 0 ("no distress") to 10 ("extreme distress"). Higher scores indicate greater distress.

Other outcomes

  1. Qualitative Analysis of Patient-Hematologist Discussion of Values and Goals

    Time frame: Following alloHCT office visit (Day 9 to 194)

    Audio recordings of alloHCT office visits will be transcribed and analyzed using qualitative methods to identify the presence and nature of discussions related to patient values and treatment goals.

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Becky Gravenstede, BA

CONTACT

[email protected]

585-727-4728

Rachel Rodenbach, MD, MS

CONTACT

[email protected]

585-275-5830

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Rochester

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Feasibility and Preliminary Efficacy of a Digital Story Intervention to Facilitate Decision-Making in Patients With Myeloid Cancers Considering Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation

Acronym: CHORDS

Important dates

Study start
2026
Primary completion
2028
Study completion
2028
First posted
Dec 4, 2025
Registry last updated
Jul 6, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Related clinical trials

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.