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NCT Number: NCT05237258

Specialty Compared to Oncology Delivered Palliative Care for Patients With Acute Myeloid Leukemia

This research study is evaluating whether primary palliative care is an alternative strategy to specialty palliative care for improving quality of life, symptoms, mood, coping, and end of life outcomes in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

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Key information

Conditions

Relapsed Adult AML Hematologic Diseases Hemic and Lymphatic Diseases High Risk Acute Myeloid Leukemia Leukemia Leukemia, Myeloid Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute Neoplasms Neoplasms by Histologic Type Primary Refractory Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Age range

18 year–120 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

University of Alabama - Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States

Loading trial locations.

About this study

Patients with newly diagnosed AML confront a sudden and life-threatening diagnosis, requiring an immediate disruption of their life and an urgent hospitalization to begin therapy. During their hospitalization for chemotherapy, patients with AML often experience difficult physical symptoms that negatively impact their quality of life and physical function. Patients with AML also experience significant psychological distress as they combat the abrupt onset of illness, uncertainty regarding their prognosis, physical and social isolation during hospitalization, and complete loss of independence. The abrupt onset of these symptoms can be distressing to both the patient and their family and friends (also called "caregivers").

Research has shown that early involvement of a team of clinicians specializing in lessening (or "palliating") these physical and emotional symptoms and helping patients and their caregivers cope with AML improves their quality of life and experience with their illness. This team is called "specialty palliative care" and consists of physicians and advanced practice providers who work closely and collaboratively with the oncology team to care for patients and caregivers. Research has also shown that training oncology clinicians to incorporate palliative care skills into their practice, called "primary palliative care," is an alternative strategy to having specialty palliative care clinicians care for patients with leukemia.

The purpose of this study is to determine whether specialty palliative care or primary palliative care is the best way to improve the quality of life and experience of patients with AML and their caregivers. This study will randomly assign hospitals to deliver either specialty palliative care or primary palliative care for patients with AML. Participants in this study will receive either specialty or primary palliative care during their hospital stays based upon which strategy their hospital has been assigned to. Participants assigned to specialty palliative care will be care for by both oncology and palliative care clinicians during their hospital stays for AML. Participants assigned to primary palliative care will be cared for by oncology clinicians who have been trained in palliative care during their hospital stays for AML.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

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

Inclusion criteria

  • Patient Inclusion Criteria
  • Hospitalized patients (age ≥ 18 years) with high-risk AML defined as:
  • Patients with new diagnosis ≥ 60 years of age
  • An antecedent hematologic disorder
  • Therapy related-disease
  • Relapsed or primary refractory AML
  • Within five business days of initiating therapy with either a) intensive chemotherapy (7+3) or modification of this regimen on a clinical trial, or a similar intensive regimen requiring prolonged hospitalization; or b) hypomethylating agents +/- additional agents or modification of this regimen on a clinical trial.
  • Caregiver Inclusion Criteria
  • Adult (≥18 years) relative or friend of a participating patient who the patient identifies as living with or has in-person contact with them at least twice per week.

Exclusion criteria

  • Patient Exclusion Criteria
  • Patients with a diagnosis of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APML)
  • Patients with AML receiving supportive care alone
  • Patients with psychiatric or cognitive conditions which the treating clinicians believe prohibits informed consent or compliance with study procedures
  • Patients seen by a palliative care clinician (MD, DO, APP) during two previous hospitalizations in the six months prior to enrollment
  • Patients expected to be discharged within 2 days

Treatment and study plan

Specialty Palliative Care

Behavioral

Participants assigned to specialty palliative care will be cared for by both oncology and palliative care clinicians during their hospital stays for AML.

Primary palliative care

Behavioral

Participants assigned primary palliative care will be cared for by oncology clinicians who have been trained in palliative care during the hospital stays for AML.

Primary outcomes

  1. Quality of Life (QOL)

    Time frame: Over 12 weeks

    Establish that primary palliative care is non-inferior to specialty palliative care in patient-reported quality of life (QOL) as measured by the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Leukemia (FACT-Leukemia) over 12 weeks.

    Higher scores on FACT-Leukemia (range 0-176) indicate a better QOL.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Patient Quality of Life (QOL)

    Time frame: Up to 2 Weeks

    Assess whether primary palliative care is non-inferior to specialty palliative care with respect to patient-reported quality of life (QOL) as measured by the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Leukemia (FACT-Leukemia).

  2. Patient Depression Symptoms

    Time frame: Up to 12 Weeks

    Assess whether primary palliative care is non-inferior to specialty palliative care with depression symptoms as measured by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS).

    Higher scores on HADS depression subscale (range 0-21) indicate greater depression symptoms.

  3. Patient Anxiety Symptoms

    Time frame: Up to 12 Weeks

    Assess whether primary palliative care is non-inferior to specialty palliative care with anxiety symptoms as measured by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS).

    Higher scores on HADS anxiety subscale (range 0-21) indicate greater anxiety symptoms.

  4. Patient Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Symptoms

    Time frame: Up to 12 Weeks

    Assess whether primary palliative care is non-inferior to specialty palliative care with respect to post-traumatic stress (PTSD) symptoms as measured by the Post-Traumatic Stress Checklist-Civilian version.

    Higher scores on the Post-Traumatic Stress Checklist (range 17-85) indicate greater PTSD symptoms.

  5. End-of-Life (EOL) Communication

    Time frame: Up to 12 Weeks

    Assess whether primary palliative care is non-inferior to specialty palliative care with respect to patient reported end-of-life (EOL) communication measured by the Prognostic Awareness Impact Scale (PAIS).

    The PAIS includes an item that measures patient self-report of communication about their wishes if they were dying (yes vs. no).

  6. End-of-Life (EOL) Care

    Time frame: Last 30 days of life

    Assess whether primary palliative care is non-inferior to specialty palliative care with respect to chemotherapy administration in the last 30 days of life based on documentation from the Electronic Health Record.

  7. Caregiver Quality of Life (QOL)

    Time frame: Up to 12 Weeks

    Assess whether primary palliative care is non-inferior to specialty palliative care with respect to caregiver quality of life measured by the Caregiver Oncology QOL Questionnaire (CARGOQOL).

    Higher scores on CARGOQOL (range 0-100) indicate better QOL.

  8. Caregiver Burden

    Time frame: Up to 12 Weeks

    Assess whether primary palliative care is non-inferior to specialty palliative care with respect to caregiver burden measured by the Caregiver Reaction Assessment (CRA).

    Higher scores on the CRA (range 24-120) indicate greater caregiving burden.

  9. Caregiver Depression Symptoms

    Time frame: Up to 12 Weeks

    Assess whether primary palliative care is non-inferior to specialty palliative care with respect to caregiver depression symptoms measured by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS).

    Higher scores on HADS depression subscale (range 0-21) indicate greater depression symptoms.

  10. Caregiver Anxiety Symptoms

    Time frame: Up to 12 Weeks

    Assess whether primary palliative care is non-inferior to specialty palliative care with respect to caregiver anxiety symptoms measured by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS).

    Higher scores on HADS anxiety subscale (range 0-21) indicate greater anxiety symptoms.

Other outcomes

  1. Patient Prognostic Understanding

    Time frame: Up to 24 weeks

    Compare patient prognostic understanding between those receiving primary palliative care and specialty palliative care based on the Prognostic Awareness Impact Scale (PAIS). The PAIS items that focus on the likelihood of cure will be used to compare prognostic understanding. Patients will report the likelihood of cure of their leukemia on a Likert's scale. Prognostic understanding will be dichotomized into likely cure versus. unlikely cure and compared between the two groups.

  2. Patient Coping

    Time frame: Up to 24 weeks

    Compare patient coping between those receiving primary palliative care versus specialty palliative care using the Brief Cope. Higher scores on the domains of the Brief Cope indicate higher use of coping strategies.

  3. Hospitalization

    Time frame: Last 30 days of life

    Compare hospitalization in the last 30 days of life between those receiving primary palliative care versus specialty palliative care.

  4. Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Admissions

    Time frame: Last 30 days of life

    Compare intensive care unit admissions in the last 30 days of life between those receiving primary palliative care versus specialty palliative care.

  5. Hospice Utilization

    Time frame: Last 30 days of life

    Compare hospice utilization between those receiving primary palliative care versus specialty palliative care.

  6. Hospice Length of Stay

    Time frame: Last 30 days of life

    Compare hospice length of stay between those receiving primary palliative care versus specialty palliative care.

  7. Patient Symptom Burden

    Time frame: Up to 24 weeks

    Compare patient symptom burden between those receiving primary palliative care versus specialty palliative care using the revised Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS-R).

    Higher scores on ESAS-R (range 0 - 100) indicate greater symptom burden.

  8. Patient Perception of Care

    Time frame: Up to 24 weeks

    Compare patients' perception of patient-centeredness of care between those receiving primary palliative care versus specialty palliative care using the Patient Perception of Patient-Centeredness of Care (PPPC).

    Higher scores indicate greater satisfaction with care.

  9. Caregiver-Reported End-of-Life (EOL) Communication

    Time frame: Up to 24 weeks

    Compare caregiver-reported end-of-life (EOL) communication between those receiving primary palliative care versus specialty palliative care measured by the Prognostic Awareness Impact Scale (PAIS). The PAIS includes an item that measures patient self-report of communication about their wishes if they were dying (yes vs. no).

  10. Caregiver Prognostic Understanding

    Time frame: Up to 24 weeks

    Compare caregiver prognostic understanding between those receiving primary palliative care versus specialty palliative care based on the Prognositic Awareness Impact Scale (PAIS). PAIS items that focus on likelihood of cure will be used to compare prognostic understanding.

  11. Caregiver Coping

    Time frame: Up to 24 weeks

    Compare caregiver coping between those receiving primary palliative care versus specialty palliative care using the Brief COPE. Higher scores on the domains of the Brief Cope indicate higher use of coping strategies.

Study contacts

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

Areej El-Jawahri, MD

CONTACT

[email protected]

617-724-4000

Chardria S Trotter, MPH, MBA

CONTACT

[email protected]

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Massachusetts General Hospital

Other

Collaborators

  • Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute

Registry information

Acronym: SCOPE-L

Important dates

Study start
2022
Primary completion
2028
Study completion
2029
First posted
Feb 14, 2022
Registry last updated
Jul 25, 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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