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Completed

NCT Number: NCT06374251

Narrative Medicine for Improving Well-Being in Patients With Gastrointestinal Cancers

This clinical trial assesses whether narrative medicine methods may improve the sense of well-being among gastrointestinal (GI) (digestive system) cancer patients. Narrative medicine is a clinical approach where providers can use a patient's own narrative (perspective) of their illness to promote healing and resilience. By applying narrative medicine's main tool, close reading, to clinical practice, clinicians learn to listen and attend to patients more deeply. This allows for freer communication and the creation of a healthcare encounter that centers on the psychological and emotional well being of the patient in addition to their medical conditions. Narrative medicine can include close reading, creative or reflective writing, and discussion. These methods may help patients with GI cancer to reflect on their life stories, both inside and outside of their illness experience, and help them gather skills to optimize their well-being.

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Key information

Conditions

Malignant Digestive System Neoplasm Digestive System Diseases Digestive System Neoplasms Gastrointestinal Diseases Gastrointestinal Neoplasms Neoplasms Neoplasms by Site

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

USC / Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center

Los Angeles, California, 90033, United States

About this study

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:

I. To assess the feasibility of implementing narrative medicine tools in serial workshops with patients with malignancy.

II. To determine if narrative medicine interventions improve markers and expressions of well-being.

DESCRIPTIVE OBJECTIVES:

I. To estimate changes in markers and expressions of well-being after 3 sessions of narrative medicine intervention.

II. To determine, through qualitative methods, if patients find benefit from the intervention regarding their well-being.

III. To decide whether to expand these kinds of interventions to a larger study with control group.

OUTLINE:

Patients participate in narrative medicine sessions over 60 minutes once every 2 weeks (Q2W) for 3 sessions.

After completion of study intervention, patients are followed up at 1 and 3 months.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

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

Inclusion criteria

  • Patients with diagnosis of gastrointestinal malignancy actively receiving infusional therapy for cancer.
  • Age >= 18 years.
  • English speaking with ability to participate in reading and writing questionnaires and implementation tools.
  • Performance Status =< Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) 3.

Exclusion criteria

  • Altered mental status or other cognitive impairment, organic or drug induced that would limit ability to participate in the evaluation.

Treatment and study plan

Discussion

Procedure

Participate in narrative medicine sessions

Other names: Discuss

interview

Other

Ancillary studies

Survey Administration

Other

Ancillary studies

Primary outcomes

  1. Number of participants who complete the narrative medicine sessions

    Time frame: Up to 3 months

    To determine the intervention feasibility, the number of participants who complete the narrative medicine sessions will be tracked.

  2. Change in well-being scores

    Time frame: Up to 3 months

    Will be evaluated using the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System-Revised Version (ESAS-r). The total score ranges from 0 to 10, with a higher score indicating worse outcomes.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Southern California

Other

Collaborators

  • National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Registry information

Official study title

Can Narrative Medicine Methods Improve Well-Being in Patients With GI Malignancies

Important dates

Study start
2023
Primary completion
2024
Study completion
2025
First posted
Apr 18, 2024
Registry last updated
Nov 14, 2025

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.

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