Pal-Cycles
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Palliative Care Yields Cancer Wellbeing Support
IRAS ID
338277
Contact name
Nancy Preston
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Lancaster University
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 1 months, 1 days
Research summary
Many patients with advanced cancer in the final phase of life leave the hospital without continuity of information, and certainty about further treatment and care provision. Often, communication between healthcare providers in different settings is suboptimal and this leads to poor continuity and coordination of care, negatively impacting the quality of life and increasing preventable hospital admissions.
The PAL-CYCLES programme is a transitional palliative care programme for patients with advanced cancer, adaptable to local cultures and healthcare systems. The programme contains an intervention aiming for a smooth transition from hospital care to community care, consisting of five cornerstone components: (1) identification of a patient with palliative and supportive care needs in collaboration with the oncologist and the hospital palliative care team; (2) compassionate communication towards the patient and their family; (3) a collaborative multidimensional care plan and follow-up in the home care setting; (4) periodic evaluation of the care plan with patients and relatives; (5) identification of the terminal phase (if there) based on the periodic evaluations, with appropriate intensification of care and end-of-life talks depending on local possibilities and habits, including consultation with patient and families about ethically and legally sensitive issues. Plan: we intend to implement and evaluate the PAL-CYCLES programme in seven European countries using a stepped wedge randomised controlled trial design. Patient, relatives, and health care provider experiences, as well as ethical and equity issues will be addressed with qualitative methods.
The PAL-CYCLES programme will facilitate patient-centred communication and continuity of palliative cancer care in the community care setting, reducing unplanned hospital admissions and improving quality of life for patients with advanced cancer at the end of life.
REC name
North West - Greater Manchester West Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
24/NW/0142
Date of REC Opinion
10 May 2024
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion