AzTrials
AzTrials

AnxietyPARTNERNCT01844492

Improving Patient and Family Centered Care in Advanced Critical Illness

A study testing The PARTNER Intervention in people with Anxiety and Depression, run by University of Pittsburgh at 1 site in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
Search all trials

Trial summary

One in five deaths in the U.S. occurs in or shortly after discharge from an intensive care unit (ICU), typically following decisions made by surrogate decision makers to forego life prolonging treatment. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Anxiety, Depression
What is being tested?
The PARTNER Intervention
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
1,420 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
23 Jul 2012to 18 Feb 2016
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 years and older
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • 18 years of age or older
  • Surrogate decision maker for ICU patient in one of 5 UPMC ICU's

Who cannot join

  • Non-English Speaking
  • Surrogate's loved one is for organ transplantation
  • Not physically able to participate in family meeting

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • University of Pittsburgh Medical Centers

    Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15261

Other trials in United States

About this study

One in five deaths in the U.S. occurs in or shortly after discharge from an intensive care unit (ICU), typically following decisions made by surrogate decision makers to forego life prolonging treatment. A large body of empirical research has identified deficiencies in care processes that contribute to three important problems: 1) family members often experience poor quality communication with ICU clinicians, leading to lasting psychological distress associated with the ICU experience; 2) patients near the end of life frequently receive invasive, expensive treatment that is inconsistent with their values and preferences, and 3) end-of-life care is a major contributor to health care costs.[8, 9] Although advance care planning can prevent some unwanted treatment, many patients wish for a trial of intensive treatment when the prognosis is uncertain, and therefore it seems likely that the need for interventions to improve "in-the-moment" decisions by surrogates will persist.[10, 11]

In a pilot project, the investigators developed the PARTNER intervention (PAiring Re-engineered ICU Teams with Nurse-driven Emotional Support and Relationship-building), an interdisciplinary intervention that 1) gives new responsibilities and advanced communication skills training to existing ICU staff (local nurse leaders and social work members of the ICU team); 2) changes care "defaults" to ensure frequent clinician-family meetings; and 3) adds protocolized, nurse-administered coaching and emotional support of surrogates before and during clinician-family meetings. The objective of this proposal is to conduct a stepped wedge randomized controlled trial testing the PARTNER intervention in 5 ICUs among 1000 patients with advanced critical illness and their surrogates.

Conditions
Anxiety, Depression
Being tested
The PARTNER Intervention, ICU Usual Care Control
Keywords
decision making for incapacitated patients, intensive care, surrogate decision making, patient centered care, Palliative Care, End of Life, Quality of Communication
Medical subject headings
Anxiety Disorders, Depression, Death

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • The PARTNER InterventionBehavioural

    The PARTNER intervention (PAiring Re-engineered ICU Teams with Nurse-driven Emotional Support and Relationship-building) consists of: 1) institution of a clinical pathway for family support overseen by ICU staff nurses; 2) advanced communication skills training for ICU staff nurses; 3) a multifaceted strategy to support implementation of the clinical pathway for family support.

  • ICU Usual Care ControlOther

    The control group will receive usual care, in which the frequency and content of clinician-family communication is determined by the clinical team according to their usual practice. No study ICU has a protocolized approach to family communication and instead clinicians determine the timing and frequency of communication with families. All sites have palliative care services.

Study groups in NCT01844492
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
ICU Usual Care ControlActive comparatordescribed below
Receives: Other: ICU Usual Care Control
The PARTNER InterventionExperimentaldescribed below
Receives: Behavioral: The PARTNER Intervention

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale

    Symptom burden of anxiety and depression in family members in a telephone interview 6 months after enrollment using the validated 14-item Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale (HADS).

    Measured: At 6 months

Secondary outcomes (5)
  1. Quality of Communication (QOC) scale

    Quality of communication in family members in a telephone interview 6 months after enrollment using the validated19 item Quality of Communication Scale.

    Measured: At 6 months

  2. Patient-and Family Centeredness of Care Scale

    Patient and Family -Centeredness of Care, using the 12-item Patient-Perceived Patient-Centeredness of Care Scale (PPPC) adapted for use by surrogates.

    Measured: At 6 months

  3. Intensive Care Unit Length of Stay

    Intensive Care Unit length of stay as assessed by abstraction of this information from hospital administrative records.

    Measured: Participants will be followed for duration of ICU stay, an expected average of 21 days.

  4. Total Hospitalization costs

    Total hospitalization costs by aggregating each patient's total service specific costs, generated from hospital administrative records. We will stratify this analysis by the patient's vital status at hospital discharge.

    Measured: Duration of hospital stay, an expected average of 4 weeks

  5. Impact of Events Scale of Care Scale

    We will assess symptoms of post-traumatic stress in family members in a telephone interview 6 months after enrollment using the validated 22 item Impact of Events Scale.

    Measured: At 6 months

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted1 May 2013 (estimated)
  2. Study start23 Jul 2012
  3. Primary completion18 Feb 2016
  4. Study completion18 Feb 2016

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Supportive care
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Single group
Model description
Sample size listed is for patients (n=1420), for whom 809 surrogates completed long-term follow-up
Masking
Single blind
Who is masked
Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
1,420 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT01844492
Sponsor's protocol ID
PRO13020304
Acronym
PARTNER
Status last verified
Mar 2018
First submitted
19 Apr 2013
Last updated
20 Mar 2018
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes

Publications

  • Angus DC, Barnato AE, Linde-Zwirble WT, Weissfeld LA, Watson RS, Rickert T, Rubenfeld GD; Robert Wood Johnson Foundation ICU End-Of-Life Peer Group. Use of intensive care at the end of life in the United States: an epidemiologic study. Crit Care Med. 2004 Mar;32(3):638-43. doi: 10.1097/01.ccm.0000114816.62331.08.

    PubMed 15090940
  • Prendergast TJ, Claessens MT, Luce JM. A national survey of end-of-life care for critically ill patients. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 1998 Oct;158(4):1163-7. doi: 10.1164/ajrccm.158.4.9801108.

    PubMed 9769276
  • Azoulay E, Pochard F, Kentish-Barnes N, Chevret S, Aboab J, Adrie C, Annane D, Bleichner G, Bollaert PE, Darmon M, Fassier T, Galliot R, Garrouste-Orgeas M, Goulenok C, Goldgran-Toledano D, Hayon J, Jourdain M, Kaidomar M, Laplace C, Larche J, Liotier J, Papazian L, Poisson C, Reignier J, Saidi F, Schlemmer B; FAMIREA Study Group. Risk of post-traumatic stress symptoms in family members of intensive care unit patients. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2005 May 1;171(9):987-94. doi: 10.1164/rccm.200409-1295OC. Epub 2005 Jan 21.

    PubMed 15665319
  • Wendler D, Rid A. Systematic review: the effect on surrogates of making treatment decisions for others. Ann Intern Med. 2011 Mar 1;154(5):336-46. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-154-5-201103010-00008.

    PubMed 21357911
  • Lynn J, Teno JM, Phillips RS, Wu AW, Desbiens N, Harrold J, Claessens MT, Wenger N, Kreling B, Connors AF Jr. Perceptions by family members of the dying experience of older and seriously ill patients. SUPPORT Investigators. Study to Understand Prognoses and Preferences for Outcomes and Risks of Treatments. Ann Intern Med. 1997 Jan 15;126(2):97-106. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-126-2-199701150-00001.

    PubMed 9005760
  • Murphy DJ, Burrows D, Santilli S, Kemp AW, Tenner S, Kreling B, Teno J. The influence of the probability of survival on patients' preferences regarding cardiopulmonary resuscitation. N Engl J Med. 1994 Feb 24;330(8):545-9. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199402243300807.

    PubMed 8302322
  • Weeks JC, Cook EF, O'Day SJ, Peterson LM, Wenger N, Reding D, Harrell FE, Kussin P, Dawson NV, Connors AF Jr, Lynn J, Phillips RS. Relationship between cancer patients' predictions of prognosis and their treatment preferences. JAMA. 1998 Jun 3;279(21):1709-14. doi: 10.1001/jama.279.21.1709.

    PubMed 9624023
  • Riley GF, Lubitz JD. Long-term trends in Medicare payments in the last year of life. Health Serv Res. 2010 Apr;45(2):565-76. doi: 10.1111/j.1475-6773.2010.01082.x. Epub 2010 Feb 9.

    PubMed 20148984
  • Hogan C, Lunney J, Gabel J, Lynn J. Medicare beneficiaries' costs of care in the last year of life. Health Aff (Millwood). 2001 Jul-Aug;20(4):188-95. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.20.4.188.

    PubMed 11463076
  • Fried TR, Bradley EH, Towle VR, Allore H. Understanding the treatment preferences of seriously ill patients. N Engl J Med. 2002 Apr 4;346(14):1061-6. doi: 10.1056/NEJMsa012528.

    PubMed 11932474
  • Sudore RL, Fried TR. Redefining the "planning" in advance care planning: preparing for end-of-life decision making. Ann Intern Med. 2010 Aug 17;153(4):256-61. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-153-4-201008170-00008.

    PubMed 20713793
  • Schneiderman LJ, Gilmer T, Teetzel HD, Dugan DO, Blustein J, Cranford R, Briggs KB, Komatsu GI, Goodman-Crews P, Cohn F, Young EW. Effect of ethics consultations on nonbeneficial life-sustaining treatments in the intensive care setting: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 2003 Sep 3;290(9):1166-72. doi: 10.1001/jama.290.9.1166.

    PubMed 12952998
  • Lautrette A, Darmon M, Megarbane B, Joly LM, Chevret S, Adrie C, Barnoud D, Bleichner G, Bruel C, Choukroun G, Curtis JR, Fieux F, Galliot R, Garrouste-Orgeas M, Georges H, Goldgran-Toledano D, Jourdain M, Loubert G, Reignier J, Saidi F, Souweine B, Vincent F, Barnes NK, Pochard F, Schlemmer B, Azoulay E. A communication strategy and brochure for relatives of patients dying in the ICU. N Engl J Med. 2007 Feb 1;356(5):469-78. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa063446.

    PubMed 17267907
  • Andersen SK, Chang CH, Arnold RM, Pidro C, Darby JM, Angus DC, White DB; Pairing Re-engineered Intensive Care Teams with Nurse-driven Emotional Support, Relationship building (PARTNER) Investigators. Impact of a family support intervention on hospitalization costs and hospital readmissions among ICU patients at high risk of death or severe functional impairment. Ann Intensive Care. 2024 Jul 2;14(1):103. doi: 10.1186/s13613-024-01344-9.

    PubMed 38954149
  • White DB, Angus DC, Shields AM, Buddadhumaruk P, Pidro C, Paner C, Chaitin E, Chang CH, Pike F, Weissfeld L, Kahn JM, Darby JM, Kowinsky A, Martin S, Arnold RM; PARTNER Investigators. A Randomized Trial of a Family-Support Intervention in Intensive Care Units. N Engl J Med. 2018 Jun 21;378(25):2365-2375. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1802637. Epub 2018 May 23.

    PubMed 29791247

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing The PARTNER Intervention in people with Anxiety and Depression, run by University of Pittsburgh at 1 site in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 2 inclusion and 3 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 20 Mar 2018. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (time frame: At 6 months). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT01844492, which also lists 15 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 20 Mar 2018; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 7 Nov 2026.

Free account

Log in to keep searching

You’ve used your 3 free searches. AzTrials is free: log in or create a free account to keep searching clinical trials and save the ones you want to follow.

Create a free accountLog in