Background: For adolescent and young adults (AYAs) with certain life-threatening illnesses, hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) provides the best chance for cure and survival. HSCT is a life-saving therapy, but this treatment also comes with significant risks. Given these risks, it is imperative that patients and their families have the opportunity to share their values, priorities, and goals through advance care planning (ACP) to ensure that the care they receive through the transplant process remains patient-centered. Despite the benefits of ACP discussions, many barriers, including provider discomfort, may prevent these conversations with AYAs. Objective: To see if AYAs who undergo HSCT and their caregivers benefit from discussing ACP topics. Eligibility: People aged 18 to 39 years enrolled in an NIH study with a planned HSCT. One caregiver aged 18 years or older will also be invited to participate. Design: Participants will complete a 20-minute questionnaire. They will be asked about the priorities they have related to their care and their prior experiences with ACP. Participants will have 3 conversations with a study team member over 4 to 9 weeks. Each talk will last 45 to 60 minutes. First, participants will talk about their upcoming transplant and their expectations. They will also be asked about their fears and worries and will discuss what is most important to them in terms of support, comfort, their values, and their goals. Next, they will learn about Voicing My CHOiCES . This guide gives people a place to say what kind of care they want to receive during their treatment and includes a place to document how they would want to be cared for if they can no longer make decisions on their own. Participants will be guided as they fill in a few pages from this guide. The third conversation will review the first talks. Participants may ask questions and review any topic. They will complete follow-up questionnaires and be provided with a summary of their care priorities revealed in the discussions. They will be asked about their experience participating in this study, and their comfort with ACP discussions. They will be asked what they think of the meaningfulness, timing, and cultural sensitivity of these talks....
Age range
18 Years – 120 Years
Sex
ALL
See this in plain English?
AI-rewrites the medical criteria so a patient or caregiver can understand them. Always confirm with the trial site.
Bring these to your next appointment. They're a starting point for a shared conversation — not a sign you qualify or a recommendation to enrol.
Generated to help you prepare — always confirm anything about your own eligibility and care with the study team and your doctor.
The trial coordinator is the person who runs the study day to day. These cover the practical side — logistics, costs, and what taking part would actually mean for your life. The study team confirms whether you meet the criteria; these are questions to ask, not a sign you qualify.
A starting point for the conversation — always confirm anything about your own eligibility, costs, and care with the study team and your doctor.
Acceptability, Timing of intervention
Timeframe: Follow-up (Week 4-9)
Feasibility, Retention
Timeframe: Week 9
Acceptability, Emotional impact of intervention
Timeframe: Baseline (Week 0), Follow-up (Week 4-9)
Acceptability, qualitative interview
Timeframe: Week 10