An interventional study of Dignity Therapy in Stage IV Colorectal Cancer, sponsored by Northwestern University. Completed at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2013-09-16.
Sponsored by Northwestern University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Supportive care
The purpose of this study is to try and improve the way that patients with colon cancer understand and cope with their illness and give them tools for talking with their loved ones and family about their illness.
Dignity Therapy is a well tolerated structured interview that helps patients reflect on who they are, what is most important to them and what lessons they have learned through life. For patients not receiving chemotherapy, Dignity Therapy gave patients more hope, more meaning in their life, and helped their families. Researchers at Northwestern University would like to see if it has the same effect in patients getting chemotherapy. We will also see if the Dignity Therapy changes patient's understanding of their disease and their medical preferences.
All study procedures will take place when participants come for a scheduled doctor's visit or to receive chemotherapy. At the first visit participants will answer a questionnaire taking approximately 15-30 minutes. Participants will then have a Dignity Therapy Session approximately 1-2 weeks later. A second Dignity Therapy Session will be scheduled again in another 1-2 weeks. Each study Dignity Therapy Session will take approximately an hour. One to two weeks later a repeat questionnaire will be filled out. Finally, a third and final questionnaire will be complete 4 weeks later.
5,599 studies on the registry are indexed under Colorectal Neoplasms; 1,458 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 24 is below the median of 77 across 4,122 interventional studies indexed under Colorectal Neoplasms.
Browse Colorectal Neoplasms studies →Northwestern University is the lead sponsor of 1,396 studies on the registry; 199 are open to participants now.
Of its 102 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 73 (72%) have results posted.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
At registration, subjects will be mailed a questionnaire. The subject will then receive two separate dignity therapy sessions, about a week apart. Subjects will then be asked to complete a questionnaire 1-2 weeks after completing therapy sessions and one month after completing therapy sessions.
Behavioral: Dignity Therapy
At registration, subjects will be mailed a questionnaire. The subject will then receive two separate dignity therapy sessions; the first session will take place about 6 weeks after registration, with the second session occurring 1-3 weeks after the first. Subjects will then be asked to complete a questionnaire about one month after completing therapy sessions.
Behavioral: Dignity Therapy
Dignity therapy is a psychotherapeutic intervention developed to address psychosocial and existential distress among terminally ill patients. Basically, it invites patients to discuss topics that matter most or how they want to be remembered. This interview is recorded and then edited and returned to the patient to be used for further reflection or for sharing with loved ones.
Impact of Dignity Therapy
Measure the impact of dignity therapy on terminal illness acknowledgment and presence of peaceful awareness. Subjects will complete self-evaluation questionnaires at the point of registration and upon completing dignity therapy sessions. The impact will be determined by changes in the patient's baseline self-reported parameters.
Time frame: at baseline, 1-2 weeks after completion of dignity therapy sessions, 1 month after completion of sessions
Measure the impact of dignity therapy on life sustaining therapy and end-of-life goals of care.
Subjects will complete self-evaluation questionnaires at the point of registration and upon completing dignity therapy sessions. The impact will be determined by changes in the patient's baseline self-reported parameters.
Time frame: at baseline, 1-2 weeks after completion of dignity therapy sessions, 1 month after completion of dignity therapy sessions
Establish a correlation between terminal illness acknowledgement and presence of peaceful awareness with preferences for life sustaining therapy and end-of-life goals of care.
Establish a correlation between terminal illness acknowledgement and presence of peaceful awareness with preferences for life sustaining therapy and end-of-life goals of care.
Time frame: At Study Completion
This study is completed, as verified in Sep 2013. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
Get an email when the registry record changes — status, dates, results — or when someone posts here.
Sign in to followQuestions and observations about this study, from anyone following it. Not medical advice, and not a channel to the study team — their contact details are on the registry record.
Sign in to join the discussion. Reading takes no account; posting does. You choose a display name, and a pseudonym is the default.
Nothing here yet. If you are running this trial, taking part in it, or weighing whether to, this is the place to say so.
Northwestern University