AzTrials
AzTrials

Home Care, Hospital-BasedMULTIPALNCT07554209

Perceptions of Key Domains of Home-Based Palliative Care Among Healthcare Professionals (MULTIPAL)

An observational study of Home Care, Hospital-Based and Palliative Care, run by Instituto de Investigacion Sanitaria La Fe at 1 site in Spain.

Enrolling by invitation

Enrolling by invitation. The study team selects and invites participants, usually from an existing group of patients.

Sites and contacts
Official record
Search all trials

Trial summary

This observational cross-sectional study evaluates and compares healthcare professionals' perceptions of key domains of home-based palliative care. Using an anonymous online survey and multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) methods, the study explores perceived importance, strategic prioritization, and self-assessed… Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
How many people
580 participants
Where
1 siteSpain
Study dates
1 May 2026to 30 Sep 2026
Phase
Observational
Are there results?
Not yet: the study is under way

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

Study population: The survey will be addressed to healthcare professionals working in Hospital-at-Home units across the Valencian Community (Spain). Eligible participants will be professionals with direct clinical responsibilities in the care of patients and families receiving home-based palliative care. The following professional profiles will be included: Physicians Nursing assistants Nurse case managers (including those involved in remote monitoring and disease management) Clinical psychologists Social workers Physiotherapists Professionals who do not have direct clinical or care-related responsibilities, such as administrative staff or other non-clinical support personnel within Hospital-at-Home units, will be excluded from the study.

Who may be able to join

  • Healthcare professionals working in Hospital-at-Home units providing home-based palliative care within the Valencian Community.

Who cannot join

  • Healthcare professionals without direct clinical or care-related responsibilities (e.g., administrative or non-clinical support staff) within Hospital-at-Home units.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.

Spain1 site

  • Hospital Universitari i Politècnic La Fe

    Valencia, Valencia, 46026

Other trials in Spain

About this study

Official title: Perceptions Among Healthcare Professionals of Key Domains of Home-Based Palliative Care: A Multicriteria Comparative Cross-Sectional Survey (MULTIPAL)

This observational cross-sectional study evaluates and compares healthcare professionals' perceptions of key domains of home-based palliative care. Using an anonymous online survey and multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) methods, the study explores perceived importance, strategic prioritization, and self-assessed performance across five core palliative care domains. The study is conducted across Hospital-at-Home units throughout the Valencian Community (Spain).

Read the detailed description

MULTIPAL is an observational, analytical, cross-sectional census survey designed to assess healthcare professionals' perceptions of home-based palliative care within Hospital-at-Home units. The study is grounded in international palliative care frameworks, including those promoted by the World Health Organization, which define palliative care as a multidimensional approach encompassing symptom control, psychosocial and spiritual care, communication, coordination, and professional well-being.

Differences in professional priorities may influence clinical decision-making, coordination, and care quality. Despite increasing attention to palliative care quality indicators, professionals' perspectives-particularly in home-based settings-remain underexplored.

The study applies complementary Multicriteria Decision Analysis methods (TOPSIS, PROMETHEE, Analytic Hierarchy Process) to evaluate and compare professional priorities across five predefined domains: symptom control; communication and shared decision-making; psychosocial and spiritual care; coordination and continuity of care; and support for healthcare professionals.

Initially conceived as a single-center study, MULTIPAL was expanded to all Hospital-at-Home units in the Valencian Community to enhance representativeness, external validity, and relevance for system-level quality improvement.

Keywords
multicriteria decision analysis, Palliative care, Home-based palliative care, Healthcare professionals, Multidisciplinary team, Professional perceptions, Decision making, Priority setting, Quality of care, Health services research, Professional training

What participants receive

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

Study groups in NCT07554209
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Healthcare professionals in Hospital-at-Home unitsHealthcare professionals with direct clinical responsibilities in Hospital-at-Home units providing home-based palliative care within the Valencian Community. Participants complete an anonymous cross-sectional survey assessing perceptions and prioritization of key domains of palliative care.

What is being measured

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

  1. 1. Multicriteria prioritization of home-based palliative care domains (TOPSIS)

    Relative prioritization of five predefined domains of home-based palliative care based on healthcare professionals' perceived importance and performance (symptom control; communication and shared decision-making; psychosocial and spiritual care; coordination and continuity of care; and support for healthcare professionals) .

    Measure: TOPSIS closeness coefficient for each domain . Unit of Measure: Closeness coefficient (0-1). Measurement Tool / Method: Multicriteria Decision Analysis using the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS).

    Measured: Baseline (single cross-sectional survey)

Secondary outcomes (5)

  1. 2. Preference-based ranking of palliative care domains (PROMETHEE)

    Preference-based ranking of palliative care domains according to healthcare professionals' judgments: symptom control; communication and shared decision-making; psychosocial and spiritual care; coordination and continuity of care; and support for healthcare professionals.

    Measure: Net preference flow for each domain. Unit of Measure: Net preference flow score. Measurement Tool / Method: Preference Ranking Organization Method for Enrichment Evaluations (PROMETHEE).

    Measured: Baseline (single cross-sectional survey)

  2. 3. Hierarchical weighting and consistency of each domain importance (AHP)

    Assessment of relative importance and internal consistency of professional judgments for the following domains: symptom control; communication and shared decision-making; psychosocial and spiritual care; coordination and continuity of care; and support for healthcare professionals.

    Measure: Normalized priority weights and consistency ratio. Unit of Measure: Dimensionless. Measurement Tool / Method: Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). At survey completion.

    Measured: Baseline (single cross-sectional survey)

  3. 4. Interprofessional consensus on domain prioritization

    Degree of agreement between professional groups regarding domain priorities. Measure: Absolute difference in ranking positions. Unit of Measure: Rank difference. Measurement Tool / Method: Comparison of TOPSIS-derived rankings between groups.

    At survey completion.

    Measured: Baseline (single cross-sectional survey)

  4. 5. Importance-performance gap in palliative care domains

    Difference between perceived importance and perceived performance for each domain.

    Measure: Importance-performance gap score. Unit of Measure: Likert-scale score difference. Measurement Tool / Method: Direct calculation from survey ratings.

    Measured: Baseline (single cross-sectional survey)

  5. Variation in domain prioritization by professional and experiential factors

    Exploratory differences in priorities according to professional role, experience, age, and gender.

    Measure: Differences in MCDA-derived scores. Unit of Measure: Method-specific. Measurement Tool / Method: Subgroup analyses using TOPSIS, PROMETHEE, and AHP estimators.

    Measured: Baseline (single cross-sectional survey)

Timeline

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

  1. First posted28 Apr 2026
  2. Study start1 May 2026 (estimated)
  3. Primary completion30 Jun 2026 (estimated)
  4. Study completion30 Sep 2026 (estimated)

Resources

More details

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

Study design
Study type
Observational
Observational model
Other
Time perspective
Cross-sectional
Enrolment
580 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT07554209
Sponsor's protocol ID
2026-0194-1 (MULTIPAL)
Acronym
MULTIPAL
Status last verified
Apr 2026
First submitted
17 Apr 2026
Last updated
28 Apr 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
Yes: Aggregated and fully anonymized data will be shared with all participating Hospital-at-Home units as part of a structured feedback and quality improvement process. Study results and aggregated datasets will also be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications in journals focused on palliative care and health services research. Shared data will include anonymized MCDA-derived summary scores and rankings (TOPSIS, PROMETHEE, AHP). No individual-level identifiable data will be shared. Time Frame: Data sharing will begin after completion of data analysis and primary dissemination of results. Access Criteria: Data will be shared upon reasonable request for academic, educational, or quality improvement purposes, in accordance with institutional data protection policies.

Publications

  • Khan I, Pintelon L, Martin H. The Application of Multicriteria Decision Analysis Methods in Health Care: A Literature Review. Med Decis Making. 2022 Feb;42(2):262-274. doi: 10.1177/0272989X211019040. Epub 2021 Jun 24.

    PubMed 34166149

  • Frazao TDC, Camilo DGG, Cabral ELS, Souza RP. Multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) in health care: a systematic review of the main characteristics and methodological steps. BMC Med Inform Decis Mak. 2018 Nov 1;18(1):90. doi: 10.1186/s12911-018-0663-1.

    PubMed 30382826

  • Refolo P, Raimondi C, Masilla SS, Argo A, Capulli E, Ceruti S, Gonella S, Ingravallo F, Miccinesi G, Picozzi M, Redaelli P, Spagnolo AG. Attitudes of physicians, nurses, and the general public toward End-of-Life (EoL) decisions in European countries: an umbrella review. BMC Med Ethics. 2025 May 9;26(1):60. doi: 10.1186/s12910-025-01219-z.

    PubMed 40346520

  • Van Beek K, Woitha K, Ahmed N, Menten J, Jaspers B, Engels Y, Ahmedzai SH, Vissers K, Hasselaar J. Comparison of legislation, regulations and national health strategies for palliative care in seven European countries (Results from the Europall Research Group): a descriptive study. BMC Health Serv Res. 2013 Jul 17;13:275. doi: 10.1186/1472-6963-13-275.

    PubMed 23866928

  • Pastrana T, Wenk R, De Lima L. Consensus-Based Palliative Care Competencies for Undergraduate Nurses and Physicians: A Demonstrative Process with Colombian Universities. J Palliat Med. 2016 Jan;19(1):76-82. doi: 10.1089/jpm.2015.0202. Epub 2015 Oct 20.

    PubMed 26485612

  • De Roo ML, Leemans K, Claessen SJ, Cohen J, Pasman HR, Deliens L, Francke AL; EURO IMPACT. Quality indicators for palliative care: update of a systematic review. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2013 Oct;46(4):556-72. doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2012.09.013. Epub 2013 Jun 26.

    PubMed 23809769

  • Hui D, Hannon BL, Zimmermann C, Bruera E. Improving patient and caregiver outcomes in oncology: Team-based, timely, and targeted palliative care. CA Cancer J Clin. 2018 Sep;68(5):356-376. doi: 10.3322/caac.21490. Epub 2018 Sep 13.

    PubMed 30277572

  • Blay C, Martori JC, Limon E, Oller R, Vila L, Gomez-Batiste X. [Find your 1%: prevalence and mortality of a community cohort of people with advanced chronic disease and palliative needs]. Aten Primaria. 2019 Feb;51(2):71-79. doi: 10.1016/j.aprim.2017.07.004. Epub 2017 Nov 20. Spanish.

    PubMed 29157932

  • Vega T, Arrieta E, Lozano JE, Miralles M, Anes Y, Gomez C, Quinones C, Perucha M, Margolles M, Gomez de Caso JA, Gil M, Fernandez S, de la Iglesia P, Lopez A, Alamo R, Zurriaga O, Mauro Ramos J; por el Grupo RECENT. [Palliative and support care at home in primary care]. Gac Sanit. 2011 May-Jun;25(3):205-10. doi: 10.1016/j.gaceta.2011.02.005. Epub 2011 Apr 14. Spanish.

    PubMed 21496971

  • Centeno C, Sitte T, de Lima L, Alsirafy S, Bruera E, Callaway M, Foley K, Luyirika E, Mosoiu D, Pettus K, Puchalski C, Rajagopal MR, Yong J, Garralda E, Rhee JY, Comoretto N. White Paper for Global Palliative Care Advocacy: Recommendations from a PAL-LIFE Expert Advisory Group of the Pontifical Academy for Life, Vatican City. J Palliat Med. 2018 Oct;21(10):1389-1397. doi: 10.1089/jpm.2018.0248. Epub 2018 Sep 26.

    PubMed 30256135

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

An observational study of Home Care, Hospital-Based and Palliative Care, run by Instituto de Investigacion Sanitaria La Fe at 1 site in Spain.

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 1 inclusion and 1 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: enrolling by invitation, as of the sponsor's last update on 28 Apr 2026. 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 Spain. 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?

This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.

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?

1. Multicriteria prioritization of home-based palliative care domains (TOPSIS) (time frame: Baseline (single cross-sectional survey)). 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 NCT07554209, which also lists 10 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 28 Apr 2026.

AzTrials uses cookies for analytics and advertising. You can accept or reject them; the site works either way. Privacy Policy.

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