Electronic Symptom Monitoring Program for Triggered Palliative Referrals in Patients With Thoracic Cancer

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE:

I. Develop and assess feasibility of a remote electronic symptom monitoring program with a prompted option for palliative care self-referral for patients or caregivers by proxy after diagnosis of a thoracic malignancy.

SECONDARY OBJECTIVE:

I. Evaluate palliative care referral patterns after implementation of a remote electronic symptom monitoring program.

OUTLINE:

Patients and their caregivers use the electronic symptom monitoring program to log symptoms once a week (QW) for 24 weeks. Patients and their caregivers also watch a video and review education materials prior to starting the remote symptom monitoring program.

After completion of study intervention, participants are followed up to 2 years.

Inclusion criteria

• PATIENTS: Age ≥ 18 years
• PATIENTS: Diagnosed with any stage (1-4) or type (non-small cell lung cancer, small cell lung cancer, mesothelioma, thymic carcinoma) of thoracic malignancy
• PATIENTS: ≥ 2 visits at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center (OSUCCC) Thoracic Oncology Clinic
• PATIENTS: Study enrollment within 12 weeks of initial Thoracic Medical Oncology appointment
• PATIENTS: Ability to understand and willingness to sign an informed consent document (or indicate approval or disapproval by another means)
• PATIENTS: Ability to read and understand English
• PATIENTS: Access to a device with email or text messaging capability
• CAREGIVERS: Age ≥ 18 years
• CAREGIVERS: Identified by patient participant as primary caregiver
• CAREGIVERS: Corresponding patient participant has consented to participate in the study
• CAREGIVERS: Ability to understand and willingness to sign an informed consent document (or indicate approval or disapproval by another means)
• CAREGIVERS: Ability to read and understand English
• CAREGIVERS: Access to a device with email or text messaging capability

Exclusion criteria

• PATIENTS: Patients who have been previously referred to ambulatory palliative care are excluded from participation
• PATIENTS: Prisoners are excluded from participation
• PATIENTS: Pregnant patients are excluded from participation
• PATIENTS: Patients who lack capacity for medical decision-making as determined by their primary oncologist are excluded from participation
• PATIENTS: There is NO exclusion criteria pertaining to Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status, laboratory values, prior cancer diagnoses, presence of comorbidities or brain metastases