Preference of Room Setting and Waiting Time in Patients With Advanced, Locally Advanced, or Metastatic Cancer and Their Caregivers Who Are Seen in the Outpatient Supportive/Palliative Care Center

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:

I. To determine patients and caregivers preferences regarding the rooming process in outpatient supportive palliative care clinic, measured by the preference to exam room versus waiting area.

SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:

I. Patients and caregiver perceptions regarding room setting and waiting time in the outpatient supportive care clinic.

II. Extent/experience of team contact in the outpatient supportive care clinic. III. The factors associated with rooming preferences such as age, gender, symptom distress and performance status.

IV. The association between level of distress (physical, psychological, and spiritual distress as measured by Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS) and perception of usefulness of the visit to palliative care center.

V. The attitudes and beliefs toward usefulness of referral to outpatient palliative care.

VI. The correlation between the patient and caregivers preferences.

OUTLINE:

Patients and their caregivers complete a questionnaire over 15 minutes either in person or over the phone within 3 days after their supportive care center visit.

Inclusion criteria

• Patient: Have advanced cancer, defined as locally advanced, metastatic or incurable disease.
• Patient: Seen at University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center (UTMDACC) outpatient Supportive Care Center for consultation (first visit).
• Patient: Provided informed consent.
• Patient: Can read and speak English or Spanish.
• Patient: Has a consenting caregiver at the time of the Supportive Care consultation visit.
• Caregiver: Provided informed consent.
• Caregiver: Can read and speak English or Spanish.
• Caregiver: Must be with consenting patient at the time of the Supportive Care consultation visit.

Exclusion criteria

• Patient: Delirium diagnosed by palliative care physician or nurse and/or Memorial Delirium Assessment Scale (MDAS) >= 7 or dementia.
• Patient: Inability to read and speak English or Spanish.
• Patient: No caregiver at the time of Supportive Care consultation visit.
• Caregiver: Inability to read and speak English or Spanish.