Identification of Patients With Advanced Chronic Diseases in Need of Palliative Care (NCT07387224) | Clinical Trial Compass
Active — Not RecruitingNot Applicable
Identification of Patients With Advanced Chronic Diseases in Need of Palliative Care
Spain200 participantsStarted 2024-02-01
Plain-language summary
Patients with advanced chronic diseases often have complex health needs and may benefit from palliative care. However, many of these patients are not identified early enough to receive appropriate palliative care interventions.
This prospective observational study aims to identify hospitalized patients and patients attending a day hospital with advanced chronic conditions who have palliative care needs, using the NECPAL tool. NECPAL is a validated screening instrument designed to identify patients with advanced chronic diseases who may benefit from palliative care, based on clinical indicators, disease progression, functional decline, and health care utilization.
Adult patients with advanced oncological and non-oncological chronic diseases will be consecutively evaluated. The NECPAL tool will be applied by trained investigators as part of routine clinical assessment. Patients will be classified as NECPAL positive or NECPAL negative according to predefined criteria.
The study will estimate the proportion of patients identified as NECPAL positive, describe their clinical characteristics, and analyze whether they are receiving palliative care. Secondary objectives include comparing clinical variables, comorbidity indices, and mortality between NECPAL-positive and NECPAL-negative patients over follow-up.
The results of this study will provide information on the prevalence of palliative care needs among patients with advanced chronic diseases and support early identification strategies in hospital settings.
Who can participate
Age range
18 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.
Inclusion Criteria:
* Adults aged 18 years or older.
* Hospitalized patients admitted for an acute medical condition or patients attending a day hospital.
* Presence of at least one advanced chronic oncological or non-oncological disease.
* Ability to provide informed consent or availability of a legally authorized representative to provide consent.
Exclusion Criteria:
* Patients in the last days of life at the time of assessment.
* Patients who die during the acute hospitalization process.
* Patients with end-stage organ failure who are listed for organ transplantation.
* Patients with severe psychiatric disease that interferes with study participation.
* Patients previously included in the study during a prior hospital admission.
* Patients for whom outpatient follow-up cannot be ensured.
Questions worth asking your doctor
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.
1This trial is using something called the NECPAL tool to identify patients with serious illnesses like heart failure, kidney disease, or cancer who might benefit from palliative care — could you explain what that screening process actually involves and whether it would apply to my situation?
2Since this study is no longer actively enrolling new participants, are there other similar programs or palliative care screening initiatives at this hospital or elsewhere that I could still be considered for?
3The trial covers several different serious conditions including advanced kidney disease, liver disease, heart failure, and cancer — given my specific diagnosis, how would a palliative care evaluation like this actually change or add to my current treatment plan?
4Palliative care can sometimes be misunderstood as giving up on treatment — could you help me understand how being identified through a tool like NECPAL might work alongside my ongoing care rather than replacing it?
5Before considering any kind of palliative care screening, should I first make sure all my standard treatment options for my condition have been fully explored, and how do you weigh those two paths together?
Generated to help you prepare — always confirm anything about your own eligibility and care with the study team and your doctor.
Questions for the trial coordinator
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.
1What does taking part actually involve week to week — how many visits, where, and how long does each one take?
2What costs are covered by the study, and what might I have to pay for myself, including travel, parking, or time off work?
3What happens during screening, and what happens if the study team confirms I don't meet the criteria after those tests?
4Who pays for the scans, blood work, and other tests the trial requires — the study, my insurance, or me?
5How will being in the trial affect my regular care, and will my own doctor stay informed and involved?
6Can I leave the trial at any point if I change my mind, and what would happen to my care if I do?
A starting point for the conversation — always confirm anything about your own eligibility, costs, and care with the study team and your doctor.
What they're measuring
1
Proportion of Patients Identified as NECPAL Positive