Background: Helping seriously ill cancer patients identify and communicate their care preferences improves outcomes. Objective: The aim of this study was to pilot test the feasibility and acceptability of an intervention designed to elicit patients' preferences and goals of care and share them with their oncology teams. Design: A single-arm pilot study of a 2.5-minute video, 3-page brief questionnaire, and a wallet card with question prompts was conducted. Primary outcomes were feasibility (≥60% approach-to-consent ratio, ≥60% participants rated the intervention positively) and acceptability (≥60% recommended the intervention). Secondary outcomes, measured pre- and post-intervention, included patient anxiety and distress, hope, quality of life, and therapeutic alliance. Setting/subjects: The study subjects were advanced-stage cancer patients and their clinicians at a U.S. academic and community oncology practice. Results: Among 59 potentially eligible patients, 53 agreed to participate (90% approach-to-consent ratio); 4 were nonevaluable due to death. Overall, 45 of 49 patients (92%) rated their experience as excellent, very good, or good. Participants (mean age = 63 years, range 40-86) agreed or strongly agreed that they would recommend the video (83%), brief questionnaire (88%), and wallet card (63%). However, only 34% of participants reported reviewing the questionnaire with their oncologist. There were no increases in patient anxiety or distress associated with the intervention or reductions in hope or therapeutic alliances with oncologists (all p > 0.05); quality of life was better post-intervention (p = 0.02). Conclusions: This communication intervention that combined a video, questionnaire, and wallet card was both feasible and acceptable for helping advanced cancer patients identify their care preferences and goals and should be tested in a future randomized clinical trial. Clinical Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03392090.
Keywords: advance care planning; cancer; communication; oncology; palliative care.