CClinicalTrials.gg
CompletedNCT04972630Updated Nov 27, 2024Results posted

R21 India Pal-Care Evaluation

An interventional study of Pal-Care and Control-Usual Care in Cancer Palliative Care, sponsored by Medical University of South Carolina. Completed at 1 site in India. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 85 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2024-11-27.

Sponsored by Medical University of South Carolina · Not applicable, Interventional, and Supportive care

Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
112
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years to 85 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

The goal of this pragmatic clinical trial is to test and evaluate a home-based palliative care intervention for utilizing community health workers to facilitate the delivery of palliative care to cancer patients in rural India. The study builds upon use of the World Health Organization-endorsed "Palliative Care Toolkit," which provides a comprehensive suite of evidence-based materials for delivering palliative care in limited resource settings. For the intervention, two specific aims will be addressed to evaluate: 1) implementation of the intervention within the context of the RE-AIM Framework and 2) outcomes of this intervention to determine its relative effects compared to a standard control group on patients' palliative care needs, symptom burden, quality of life (QOL) and experience with care.

Read the detailed description

This pragmatic clinical trial is a collaboration between the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC)and Tata Medical Center (TMC), a cancer center in Kolkata, India. The study has two parts: a) Implementation of a Pal-Care intervention as compared to control/no intervention b) Qualitative post-intervention evaluation.

The part a) of the study is conducted at Tata Medical Center (TMC) in Kolkata, India, under the supervision of the site PI, Dr. Gaurav Kumar. All participants will be recruited from among the TMC patients who are referred to cancer palliative care and will be grouped to the "Control" or "Pal-Care" intervention groups. This part of the study will compare an intervention group of patients who will receive home-based palliative services (Pal-Care)from community health workers (CHWs) vs. a control group of patients who will receive cancer-center based palliative services. This intervention implementation part of the study is approved by TMC Ethics Board and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), approval letter on file with MUSC IRB. MUSC relies on TMC IRB for this part and the ICF document is approved by the TMC Ethics Board in India.

The part b) of the study (under purview of MUSC IRB) involves post-intervention qualitative interviews. MUSC research team will evaluate the implementation and effect of the Pal-Care intervention to deliver CHW navigated home-based palliative care for rural cancer patients in India. The participants of this part of the study will also be from India and include stakeholders, representing all Pal-Care clinical team members and CHWs and patients/caregivers who participated in the Pal-Care intervention. This part has a waiver of signed consent.

The RE-AIM framework guides our evaluation plan to measure the reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation and maintenance of the Pal-Care intervention. Diverse data sources will be used to evaluate the intervention within the REAIM Framework.

02

Conditions studied

  • Cancer Palliative Care
03

In context

Lead sponsor

Medical University of South Carolina is the lead sponsor of 852 studies on the registry; 165 are open to participants now.

Of its 128 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 101 (79%) have results posted.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 85 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

  • Adults ages 18 years and over, any cancer type, late state cancer, residence in 24 Parganas Region, West Bengal, India, physician documentation in medical record that patient is to receive palliative care, patient willingness to participate in data collection.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Prisoner; diagnoses of substance addiction (illicit drugs), Mentally unstable or having moderate to severe mental health issue or incapable of decision making, Unable to speak or communicate with ease
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Supportive care
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Double (Investigator, Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
112 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Active comparator
    Control

    Control group participants will be recruited from the cancer patients in need of palliative care at Tata Medical Center (TMC), Kolkata, India. Participants will be recruited and consented by TMC researchers. There will be random allocation to the "control" or "Pal-Care" group. The control group (n=45) will receive "usual care" palliative services in which the patient or caregiver (by proxy) must visit the Tata Medical Center (TMC) cancer center for care. TMC services include consultation with a multi-disciplinary team (oncologist, nurse, psychologist), a 21-day morphine supply at reduced cost (as morphine is regulated in use),basic training on medication usage, catheter and wound care, other topics as relevant,and psychological counseling. Patients (or their proxy) must return to the cancer center as needed for follow up care and they are provided a 24/7 hotline to call in case of emergency.

    Behavioral: Control-Usual Care

  • Experimental
    Pal-Care

    Intervention group participants will be recruited from cancer patients in need of palliative care at Tata Medical Center (TMC), Kolkata, India. Pal-Care will be delivered over a 6-month period. At baseline visit, the patient and their caregiver will meet with their community health worker (CHW) and clinical team and an individualized care plan will be created. Patients will be assigned to the CHW living nearest to their home. The CHW will make home visits to patients 1+ times weekly, depending on patient need. At each visit, the CHW will use resources from the WHO Palliative Care Toolkit to: 1)monitor patient condition, 2) provide basic palliative care (medication administration, wound care, catheter care), 3) deliver prescribed morphine, 4) teach caregivers to deliver care,5) monitor pain and symptom control, and 6) assist patients to access their oncologists and other resources. Timely communication between CHW and clinical team will be maintained using a tele-health platform.

    Behavioral: Pal-Care

  • No intervention
    Post-Intervention Interviews

    Semi-structured interviews of stakeholder groups will be conducted by MUSC researchers who are well-trained and speak the local language, to evaluate the Pal-Care intervention. We will conduct 20 key informant interviews/KIIs (or until saturation is reached), representing Pal-Care clinical team members, CHWs and patients/caregivers, who participated in the intervention at TMC, India. Clinicians will include social workers, oncology nurses, cancer center administrators, counselors, and palliative care oncologists. Patients/ caregivers will be purposefully selected to represent experiences across different cancers, clinical problems and assigned CHWs. Interviews will be performed in-person or over a telehealth platform, as needed. Interviews will query barriers, facilitators, optimal strategies, experiences, needs and expectations for palliative care delivery. Interviews will be digitally recorded, transcribed and analyzed.

Interventions

  • BehavioralPal-Care

    Pal-Care intervention participants will receive a 6-month intervention based upon the WHO toolkit and it will be delivered by the community health workers (CHWs). The goal of this pragmatic clinical trial is to test and evaluate a home-based palliative care intervention for utilizing community health workers to facilitate the delivery of palliative care to cancer patients in rural India. More details provided in the "intervention" arms section. After the intervention, clinicians, CHWs and a purposefully selected set of patients/caregivers, who were involved in the Pal-Care will be interviewed to understand their experiences, needs, expectations, barriers, facilitators and strategies.

  • BehavioralControl-Usual Care

    The control group will receive "usual care" palliative services in which the patient or caregiver (by proxy) must visit the Tata Medical Center (TMC) cancer center for care. TMC services include consultation with a multi-disciplinary team (oncologist, nurse, psychologist), a 21-day morphine supply at reduced cost (as morphine is regulated in use),basic training on medication usage, catheter and wound care, other topics as relevant,and psychological counseling. Patients (or their proxy) must return to the cancer center as needed for follow up care and they are provided a 24/7 hotline to call in case of emergency.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Palliative Care Outcomes (POS Total Scores)

    Multidimensional palliative care outcomes will be measured with Palliative Care Outcomes (POS) Scale that measures physical and psychological symptoms; spiritual, practical and emotional concerns; and psychosocial needs of patient/family. The overall POS scale included 10 items, it is a 5-point Likert scale, scored from 0 to 4, with a total summed score ranging from 0-40. A score of 0 indicates that the particular issue is not a problem at all and a score of 4 indicates that the issue is an overwhelming burden/concern for the patient. The higher the total score, the worser the palliative care outcomes are.

    Time frame: 6-month

  2. Average Score for Quality of Life (QOL) Physical Domain

    Quality of Life will be will be assessed with the 26-item WHOQOL-BREF(WHO-Quality of life-BREFF) Scale that addresses 4 QOL domains (physical, psychological, social relationships and environment. The Quality of Life (QOL) Physical Domain scale included 7 items, it is a 5-point Likert scale, scored from 0 to 4, summed over the 7 domain items multiplied by 4, transformed to a 0-100 scale using the formula (score-4)x(100/16). A score of 0 indicates the poorest level for physical QOL and a score of 4 indicates that the highest level of physical QOL for the patient. Higher total score indicates better physical QOL for the patient.

    Time frame: Baseline to Week 4

  3. Average Score for Quality of Life (QOL) Physical Domain

    Quality of Life will be will be assessed with the 26-item WHOQOL-BREF(WHO-Quality of life-BREFF) Scale that addresses 4 QOL domains (physical, psychological, social relationships and environment. The Quality of Life (QOL) Physical Domain scale included 7 items, it is a 5-point Likert scale, scored from 0 to 4, summed over the 7 domain items multiplied by 4, transformed to a 0-100 scale using the formula (score-4)x(100/16). A score of 0 indicates the poorest level for physical QOL and a score of 4 indicates that the highest level of physical QOL for the patient. Higher total score indicates better physical QOL for the patient.

    Time frame: Week 4

  4. Average Score for Quality of Life (QOL) Physical Domain

    Quality of Life will be will be assessed with the 26-item WHOQOL-BREF(WHO-Quality of life-BREFF) Scale that addresses 4 QOL domains (physical, psychological, social relationships and environment. The Quality of Life (QOL) Physical Domain scale included 7 items, it is a 5-point Likert scale, scored from 0 to 4, summed over the 7 domain items multiplied by 4, transformed to a 0-100 scale using the formula (score-4)x(100/16). A score of 0 indicates the poorest level for physical QOL and a score of 4 indicates that the highest level of physical QOL for the patient. Higher total score indicates better physical QOL for the patient.

    Time frame: Baseline to Week 12

  5. Average Score for Quality of Life (QOL) Physical Domain

    Quality of Life will be will be assessed with the 26-item WHOQOL-BREF(WHO-Quality of life-BREFF) Scale that addresses 4 QOL domains (physical, psychological, social relationships and environment. The Quality of Life (QOL) Physical Domain scale included 7 items, it is a 5-point Likert scale, scored from 0 to 4, summed over the 7 domain items multiplied by 4, transformed to a 0-100 scale using the formula (score-4)x(100/16). A score of 0 indicates the poorest level for physical QOL and a score of 4 indicates that the highest level of physical QOL for the patient. Higher total score indicates better physical QOL for the patient.

    Time frame: Week 12

  6. Average Score for Quality of Life (QOL) Physical Domain

    Quality of Life will be will be assessed with the 26-item WHOQOL-BREF(WHO-Quality of life-BREFF) Scale that addresses 4 QOL domains (physical, psychological, social relationships and environment. The Quality of Life (QOL) Physical Domain scale included 7 items, it is a 5-point Likert scale, scored from 0 to 4, summed over the 7 domain items multiplied by 4, transformed to a 0-100 scale using the formula (score-4)x(100/16). A score of 0 indicates the poorest level for physical QOL and a score of 4 indicates that the highest level of physical QOL for the patient. Higher total score indicates better physical QOL for the patient.

    Time frame: Baseline to Week 24

  7. Average Score for Quality of Life (QOL) Physical Domain

    Quality of Life will be will be assessed with the 26-item WHOQOL-BREF(WHO-Quality of life-BREFF) Scale that addresses 4 QOL domains (physical, psychological, social relationships and environment. The Quality of Life (QOL) Physical Domain scale included 7 items, it is a 5-point Likert scale, scored from 0 to 4, summed over the 7 domain items multiplied by 4, transformed to a 0-100 scale using the formula (score-4)x(100/16). A score of 0 indicates the poorest level for physical QOL and a score of 4 indicates that the highest level of physical QOL for the patient. Higher total score indicates better physical QOL for the patient.

    Time frame: Week 24

  8. Average Score for Quality of Life (QOL) Psychological Domain

    Quality of Life will be will be assessed with the 26-item WHOQOL-BREF(WHO-Quality of life-BREFF) Scale that addresses 4 QOL domains (physical, psychological, social relationships and environment. The Quality of Life (QOL) Psychological Domain scale included 6 items, it is a 5-point Likert scale, scored from 0 to 4, summed over the 6 domain items multiplied by 4, transformed to a 0-100 scale using the formula (score-4)x(100/16). A score of 0 indicates the poorest level for psychological QOL and a score of 4 indicates that the highest level of psychological QOL for the patient. Higher total score indicates better psychological QOL for the patient.

    Time frame: Baseline to Week 4

  9. Average Score for Quality of Life (QOL) Psychological Domain

    Quality of Life will be will be assessed with the 26-item WHOQOL-BREF(WHO-Quality of life-BREFF) Scale that addresses 4 QOL domains (physical, psychological, social relationships and environment. The Quality of Life (QOL) Psychological Domain scale included 6 items, it is a 5-point Likert scale, scored from 0 to 4, summed over the 6 domain items multiplied by 4, transformed to a 0-100 scale using the formula (score-4)x(100/16). A score of 0 indicates the poorest level for psychological QOL and a score of 4 indicates that the highest level of psychological QOL for the patient. Higher total score indicates better psychological QOL for the patient.

    Time frame: Week 4

  10. Average Score for Quality of Life (QOL) Psychological Domain

    Quality of Life will be will be assessed with the 26-item WHOQOL-BREF(WHO-Quality of life-BREFF) Scale that addresses 4 QOL domains (physical, psychological, social relationships and environment. The Quality of Life (QOL) Psychological Domain scale included 6 items, it is a 5-point Likert scale, scored from 0 to 4, summed over the 6 domain items multiplied by 4, transformed to a 0-100 scale using the formula (score-4)x(100/16). A score of 0 indicates the poorest level for psychological QOL and a score of 4 indicates that the highest level of psychological QOL for the patient. Higher total score indicates better psychological QOL for the patient.

    Time frame: Baseline to Week 12

  11. Average Score for Quality of Life (QOL) Psychological Domain

    Quality of Life will be will be assessed with the 26-item WHOQOL-BREF(WHO-Quality of life-BREFF) Scale that addresses 4 QOL domains (physical, psychological, social relationships and environment. The Quality of Life (QOL) Psychological Domain scale included 6 items, it is a 5-point Likert scale, scored from 0 to 4, summed over the 6 domain items multiplied by 4, transformed to a 0-100 scale using the formula (score-4)x(100/16). A score of 0 indicates the poorest level for psychological QOL and a score of 4 indicates that the highest level of psychological QOL for the patient. Higher total score indicates better psychological QOL for the patient.

    Time frame: Week 12

  12. Average Score for Quality of Life (QOL) Psychological Domain

    Quality of Life will be will be assessed with the 26-item WHOQOL-BREF(WHO-Quality of life-BREFF) Scale that addresses 4 QOL domains (physical, psychological, social relationships and environment. The Quality of Life (QOL) Psychological Domain scale included 6 items, it is a 5-point Likert scale, scored from 0 to 4, summed over the 6 domain items multiplied by 4, transformed to a 0-100 scale using the formula (score-4)x(100/16). A score of 0 indicates the poorest level for psychological QOL and a score of 4 indicates that the highest level of psychological QOL for the patient. Higher total score indicates better psychological QOL for the patient.

    Time frame: Baseline to Week 24

  13. Average Score for Quality of Life (QOL) Psychological Domain

    Quality of Life will be will be assessed with the 26-item WHOQOL-BREF(WHO-Quality of life-BREFF) Scale that addresses 4 QOL domains (physical, psychological, social relationships and environment. The Quality of Life (QOL) Psychological Domain scale included 6 items, it is a 5-point Likert scale, scored from 0 to 4, summed over the 6 domain items multiplied by 4, transformed to a 0-100 scale using the formula (score-4)x(100/16). A score of 0 indicates the poorest level for psychological QOL and a score of 4 indicates that the highest level of psychological QOL for the patient. Higher total score indicates better psychological QOL for the patient.

    Time frame: Week 24

  14. Total Score for Quality of Life (QOL) Social Domain

    Quality of Life will be will be assessed with the 26-item WHOQOL-BREF(WHO-Quality of life-BREFF) Scale that addresses 4 QOL domains (physical, psychological, social relationships and environment. The Quality of Life (QOL) Social Domain scale included 3 items, it is a 5-point Likert scale, scored from 0 to 4, summed over the 3 domain items multiplied by 4, transformed to a 0-100 scale using the formula (score-4)x(100/16). A score of 0 indicates the poorest level for social QOL and a score of 4 indicates that the highest level of social QOL for the patient. Higher total score indicates better social QOL for the patient.

    Time frame: 6 months

  15. Total Score for Quality of Life (QOL) Environment Domain

    Quality of Life will be will be assessed with the 26-item WHOQOL-BREF(WHO-Quality of life-BREFF) Scale that addresses 4 QOL domains (physical, psychological, social relationships and environment. The Quality of Life (QOL) Environmental Domain scale included 8 items, it is a 5-point Likert scale, scored from 0 to 4, summed over the 8 domain items multiplied by 4, transformed to a 0-100 scale using the formula (score-4)x(100/16). A score of 0 indicates the poorest level for environmental QOL and a score of 4 indicates that the highest level of environmental QOL for the patient. Higher total score indicates better environmental QOL for the patient.

    Time frame: 6 Months

07

Results

Posted Nov 27, 2024

Participant flow

Participant flow — Overall Study
MilestoneControlPal-CarePost-Intervention Interviews
Started454522
Completed8822
Not completed37370
Withdrew: Death due to disease progression, lost to follow-up, consent withdrawal37370

Outcome measures

PrimaryPalliative Care Outcomes (POS Total Scores)

Multidimensional palliative care outcomes will be measured with Palliative Care Outcomes (POS) Scale that measures physical and psychological symptoms; spiritual, practical and emotional concerns; and psychosocial needs of patient/family. The overall POS scale included 10 items, it is a 5-point Likert scale, scored from 0 to 4, with a total summed score ranging from 0-40. A score of 0 indicates that the particular issue is not a problem at all and a score of 4 indicates that the issue is an overwhelming burden/concern for the patient. The higher the total score, the worser the palliative care outcomes are.

Time frame:
6-month
Reported as:
Mean · score on a scale
Palliative Care Outcomes (POS Total Scores)
score on a scaleControlPal-CarePost-Intervention Interviews
Baseline23.5 (18.7 to 28.3)22.9 (18.1 to 27.7)—
Week 422.2 (16.9 to 27.5)22.1 (15.9 to 28.3)—
Week 1222.1 (16.9 to 27.3)20.8 (15 to 26.6)—
Week 2421.3 (15.1 to 27.5)19.4 (12.4 to 26.4)—
Statistical analysis
  • Control vs Pal-Care · Mean difference (final values): 0.6
  • Control vs Pal-Care · Mean difference (final values): 0.1
  • Control vs Pal-Care · Mean difference (final values): 1.3
  • Control vs Pal-Care · Mean difference (final values): 1.9
PrimaryAverage Score for Quality of Life (QOL) Physical Domain

Quality of Life will be will be assessed with the 26-item WHOQOL-BREF(WHO-Quality of life-BREFF) Scale that addresses 4 QOL domains (physical, psychological, social relationships and environment. The Quality of Life (QOL) Physical Domain scale included 7 items, it is a 5-point Likert scale, scored from 0 to 4, summed over the 7 domain items multiplied by 4, transformed to a 0-100 scale using the formula (score-4)x(100/16). A score of 0 indicates the poorest level for physical QOL and a score of 4 indicates that the highest level of physical QOL for the patient. Higher total score indicates better physical QOL for the patient.

Time frame:
Baseline to Week 4
Reported as:
Mean · score on a scale
Average Score for Quality of Life (QOL) Physical Domain
score on a scaleControlPal-CarePost-Intervention Interviews
Average Score for Quality of Life (QOL) Physical Domain55.6 (35.7 to 75.5)56.1 (43.1 to 69.1)—
Statistical analysis
  • Control vs Pal-Care · Mean difference (final values): 0.5
PrimaryAverage Score for Quality of Life (QOL) Physical Domain

Quality of Life will be will be assessed with the 26-item WHOQOL-BREF(WHO-Quality of life-BREFF) Scale that addresses 4 QOL domains (physical, psychological, social relationships and environment. The Quality of Life (QOL) Physical Domain scale included 7 items, it is a 5-point Likert scale, scored from 0 to 4, summed over the 7 domain items multiplied by 4, transformed to a 0-100 scale using the formula (score-4)x(100/16). A score of 0 indicates the poorest level for physical QOL and a score of 4 indicates that the highest level of physical QOL for the patient. Higher total score indicates better physical QOL for the patient.

Time frame:
Week 4
Reported as:
Mean · score on a scale
Average Score for Quality of Life (QOL) Physical Domain
score on a scaleControlPal-CarePost-Intervention Interviews
Average Score for Quality of Life (QOL) Physical Domain51.3 (30.4 to 72.2)52.8 (32.1 to 73.5)—
Statistical analysis
  • Control vs Pal-Care · Mean difference (final values): 1.5
PrimaryAverage Score for Quality of Life (QOL) Physical Domain

Quality of Life will be will be assessed with the 26-item WHOQOL-BREF(WHO-Quality of life-BREFF) Scale that addresses 4 QOL domains (physical, psychological, social relationships and environment. The Quality of Life (QOL) Physical Domain scale included 7 items, it is a 5-point Likert scale, scored from 0 to 4, summed over the 7 domain items multiplied by 4, transformed to a 0-100 scale using the formula (score-4)x(100/16). A score of 0 indicates the poorest level for physical QOL and a score of 4 indicates that the highest level of physical QOL for the patient. Higher total score indicates better physical QOL for the patient.

Time frame:
Baseline to Week 12
Reported as:
Mean · score on a scale
Average Score for Quality of Life (QOL) Physical Domain
score on a scaleControlPal-CarePost-Intervention Interviews
Average Score for Quality of Life (QOL) Physical Domain59.1 (42 to 76.2)57.4 (44.3 to 70.5)—
Statistical analysis
  • Control vs Pal-Care · Mean difference (final values): -1.7
PrimaryAverage Score for Quality of Life (QOL) Physical Domain

Quality of Life will be will be assessed with the 26-item WHOQOL-BREF(WHO-Quality of life-BREFF) Scale that addresses 4 QOL domains (physical, psychological, social relationships and environment. The Quality of Life (QOL) Physical Domain scale included 7 items, it is a 5-point Likert scale, scored from 0 to 4, summed over the 7 domain items multiplied by 4, transformed to a 0-100 scale using the formula (score-4)x(100/16). A score of 0 indicates the poorest level for physical QOL and a score of 4 indicates that the highest level of physical QOL for the patient. Higher total score indicates better physical QOL for the patient.

Time frame:
Week 12
Reported as:
Mean · score on a scale
Average Score for Quality of Life (QOL) Physical Domain
score on a scaleControlPal-CarePost-Intervention Interviews
Average Score for Quality of Life (QOL) Physical Domain55.6 (33.1 to 78.1)52.8 (34.5 to 71.1)—
Statistical analysis
  • Control vs Pal-Care · Mean difference (final values): -2.8
PrimaryAverage Score for Quality of Life (QOL) Physical Domain

Quality of Life will be will be assessed with the 26-item WHOQOL-BREF(WHO-Quality of life-BREFF) Scale that addresses 4 QOL domains (physical, psychological, social relationships and environment. The Quality of Life (QOL) Physical Domain scale included 7 items, it is a 5-point Likert scale, scored from 0 to 4, summed over the 7 domain items multiplied by 4, transformed to a 0-100 scale using the formula (score-4)x(100/16). A score of 0 indicates the poorest level for physical QOL and a score of 4 indicates that the highest level of physical QOL for the patient. Higher total score indicates better physical QOL for the patient.

Time frame:
Baseline to Week 24
Reported as:
Mean · score on a scale
Average Score for Quality of Life (QOL) Physical Domain
score on a scaleControlPal-CarePost-Intervention Interviews
Average Score for Quality of Life (QOL) Physical Domain69.4 (58.4 to 80.4)60.2 (52.1 to 68.3)—
Statistical analysis
  • Control vs Pal-Care · Mean difference (final values): -9.2
PrimaryAverage Score for Quality of Life (QOL) Physical Domain

Quality of Life will be will be assessed with the 26-item WHOQOL-BREF(WHO-Quality of life-BREFF) Scale that addresses 4 QOL domains (physical, psychological, social relationships and environment. The Quality of Life (QOL) Physical Domain scale included 7 items, it is a 5-point Likert scale, scored from 0 to 4, summed over the 7 domain items multiplied by 4, transformed to a 0-100 scale using the formula (score-4)x(100/16). A score of 0 indicates the poorest level for physical QOL and a score of 4 indicates that the highest level of physical QOL for the patient. Higher total score indicates better physical QOL for the patient.

Time frame:
Week 24
Reported as:
Mean · score on a scale
Average Score for Quality of Life (QOL) Physical Domain
score on a scaleControlPal-CarePost-Intervention Interviews
Average Score for Quality of Life (QOL) Physical Domain59.7 (33.4 to 86)62.9 (40.1 to 85.7)—
Statistical analysis
  • Control vs Pal-Care · Mean difference (final values): 3.2
PrimaryAverage Score for Quality of Life (QOL) Psychological Domain

Quality of Life will be will be assessed with the 26-item WHOQOL-BREF(WHO-Quality of life-BREFF) Scale that addresses 4 QOL domains (physical, psychological, social relationships and environment. The Quality of Life (QOL) Psychological Domain scale included 6 items, it is a 5-point Likert scale, scored from 0 to 4, summed over the 6 domain items multiplied by 4, transformed to a 0-100 scale using the formula (score-4)x(100/16). A score of 0 indicates the poorest level for psychological QOL and a score of 4 indicates that the highest level of psychological QOL for the patient. Higher total score indicates better psychological QOL for the patient.

Time frame:
Baseline to Week 4
Reported as:
Mean · score on a scale
Average Score for Quality of Life (QOL) Psychological Domain
score on a scaleControlPal-CarePost-Intervention Interviews
Average Score for Quality of Life (QOL) Psychological Domain63.3 (44.8 to 81.8)58.3 (42.2 to 74.4)—
Statistical analysis
  • Control vs Pal-Care · Mean difference (final values): -5
PrimaryAverage Score for Quality of Life (QOL) Psychological Domain

Quality of Life will be will be assessed with the 26-item WHOQOL-BREF(WHO-Quality of life-BREFF) Scale that addresses 4 QOL domains (physical, psychological, social relationships and environment. The Quality of Life (QOL) Psychological Domain scale included 6 items, it is a 5-point Likert scale, scored from 0 to 4, summed over the 6 domain items multiplied by 4, transformed to a 0-100 scale using the formula (score-4)x(100/16). A score of 0 indicates the poorest level for psychological QOL and a score of 4 indicates that the highest level of psychological QOL for the patient. Higher total score indicates better psychological QOL for the patient.

Time frame:
Week 4
Reported as:
Mean · score on a scale
Average Score for Quality of Life (QOL) Psychological Domain
score on a scaleControlPal-CarePost-Intervention Interviews
Average Score for Quality of Life (QOL) Psychological Domain58.2 (42.2 to 74.2)53.7 (30.3 to 77.1)—
Statistical analysis
  • Control vs Pal-Care · Mean difference (final values): -4.5
PrimaryAverage Score for Quality of Life (QOL) Psychological Domain

Quality of Life will be will be assessed with the 26-item WHOQOL-BREF(WHO-Quality of life-BREFF) Scale that addresses 4 QOL domains (physical, psychological, social relationships and environment. The Quality of Life (QOL) Psychological Domain scale included 6 items, it is a 5-point Likert scale, scored from 0 to 4, summed over the 6 domain items multiplied by 4, transformed to a 0-100 scale using the formula (score-4)x(100/16). A score of 0 indicates the poorest level for psychological QOL and a score of 4 indicates that the highest level of psychological QOL for the patient. Higher total score indicates better psychological QOL for the patient.

Time frame:
Baseline to Week 12
Reported as:
Mean · score on a scale
Average Score for Quality of Life (QOL) Psychological Domain
score on a scaleControlPal-CarePost-Intervention Interviews
Average Score for Quality of Life (QOL) Psychological Domain67.3 (50.4 to 84.2)60.9 (45 to 76.8)—
Statistical analysis
  • Control vs Pal-Care · Mean difference (final values): -6.4
PrimaryAverage Score for Quality of Life (QOL) Psychological Domain

Quality of Life will be will be assessed with the 26-item WHOQOL-BREF(WHO-Quality of life-BREFF) Scale that addresses 4 QOL domains (physical, psychological, social relationships and environment. The Quality of Life (QOL) Psychological Domain scale included 6 items, it is a 5-point Likert scale, scored from 0 to 4, summed over the 6 domain items multiplied by 4, transformed to a 0-100 scale using the formula (score-4)x(100/16). A score of 0 indicates the poorest level for psychological QOL and a score of 4 indicates that the highest level of psychological QOL for the patient. Higher total score indicates better psychological QOL for the patient.

Time frame:
Week 12
Reported as:
Mean · score on a scale
Average Score for Quality of Life (QOL) Psychological Domain
score on a scaleControlPal-CarePost-Intervention Interviews
Average Score for Quality of Life (QOL) Psychological Domain59.6 (38.6 to 80.6)55.8 (39.6 to 72)—
Statistical analysis
  • Control vs Pal-Care · Mean difference (final values): -3.8
PrimaryAverage Score for Quality of Life (QOL) Psychological Domain

Quality of Life will be will be assessed with the 26-item WHOQOL-BREF(WHO-Quality of life-BREFF) Scale that addresses 4 QOL domains (physical, psychological, social relationships and environment. The Quality of Life (QOL) Psychological Domain scale included 6 items, it is a 5-point Likert scale, scored from 0 to 4, summed over the 6 domain items multiplied by 4, transformed to a 0-100 scale using the formula (score-4)x(100/16). A score of 0 indicates the poorest level for psychological QOL and a score of 4 indicates that the highest level of psychological QOL for the patient. Higher total score indicates better psychological QOL for the patient.

Time frame:
Baseline to Week 24
Reported as:
Mean · score on a scale
Average Score for Quality of Life (QOL) Psychological Domain
score on a scaleControlPal-CarePost-Intervention Interviews
Average Score for Quality of Life (QOL) Psychological Domain76.6 (60 to 93.2)59.9 (47.7 to 72.1)—
Statistical analysis
  • Control vs Pal-Care · Mean difference (final values): -16.7
PrimaryAverage Score for Quality of Life (QOL) Psychological Domain

Quality of Life will be will be assessed with the 26-item WHOQOL-BREF(WHO-Quality of life-BREFF) Scale that addresses 4 QOL domains (physical, psychological, social relationships and environment. The Quality of Life (QOL) Psychological Domain scale included 6 items, it is a 5-point Likert scale, scored from 0 to 4, summed over the 6 domain items multiplied by 4, transformed to a 0-100 scale using the formula (score-4)x(100/16). A score of 0 indicates the poorest level for psychological QOL and a score of 4 indicates that the highest level of psychological QOL for the patient. Higher total score indicates better psychological QOL for the patient.

Time frame:
Week 24
Reported as:
Mean · score on a scale
Average Score for Quality of Life (QOL) Psychological Domain
score on a scaleControlPal-CarePost-Intervention Interviews
Average Score for Quality of Life (QOL) Psychological Domain62.0 (39.4 to 84.6)62.5 (39.2 to 85.8)—
Statistical analysis
  • Control vs Pal-Care · Mean difference (final values): 0.5
PrimaryTotal Score for Quality of Life (QOL) Social Domain

Quality of Life will be will be assessed with the 26-item WHOQOL-BREF(WHO-Quality of life-BREFF) Scale that addresses 4 QOL domains (physical, psychological, social relationships and environment. The Quality of Life (QOL) Social Domain scale included 3 items, it is a 5-point Likert scale, scored from 0 to 4, summed over the 3 domain items multiplied by 4, transformed to a 0-100 scale using the formula (score-4)x(100/16). A score of 0 indicates the poorest level for social QOL and a score of 4 indicates that the highest level of social QOL for the patient. Higher total score indicates better social QOL for the patient.

Time frame:
6 months
Reported as:
Mean · score on a scale
Total Score for Quality of Life (QOL) Social Domain
score on a scaleControlPal-CarePost-Intervention Interviews
Baseline81.1 (61.7 to 100.5)81.5 (64.4 to 98.6)—
Week 473.3 (50.1 to 96.5)78.7 (59.8 to 97.6)—
Week 1277.9 (52.4 to 103.4)78.8 (61.6 to 96)—
Week 2480.2 (58.5 to 101.9)82.8 (65.2 to 100.4)—
Statistical analysis
  • Control vs Pal-Care · Mean difference (final values): 0.4
  • Control vs Pal-Care · Mean difference (final values): 5.5
  • Control vs Pal-Care · Mean difference (final values): 0.9
  • Control vs Pal-Care · Mean difference (final values): 2.6
PrimaryTotal Score for Quality of Life (QOL) Environment Domain

Quality of Life will be will be assessed with the 26-item WHOQOL-BREF(WHO-Quality of life-BREFF) Scale that addresses 4 QOL domains (physical, psychological, social relationships and environment. The Quality of Life (QOL) Environmental Domain scale included 8 items, it is a 5-point Likert scale, scored from 0 to 4, summed over the 8 domain items multiplied by 4, transformed to a 0-100 scale using the formula (score-4)x(100/16). A score of 0 indicates the poorest level for environmental QOL and a score of 4 indicates that the highest level of environmental QOL for the patient. Higher total score indicates better environmental QOL for the patient.

Time frame:
6 Months
Reported as:
Mean · score on a scale
Total Score for Quality of Life (QOL) Environment Domain
score on a scaleControlPal-CarePost-Intervention Interviews
Baseline68.6 (55.1 to 82.1)66.4 (53.1 to 79.7)—
Week 465.8 (53.5 to 78.1)66.4 (49.7 to 83.1)—
Week 1267.1 (53.3 to 80.9)66.1 (51.7 to 80.5)—
Week 2472.7 (59.5 to 85.9)71.9 (52.2 to 91.6)—
Statistical analysis
  • Control vs Pal-Care · Mean difference (final values): -2.2
  • Control vs Pal-Care · Mean difference (final values): 0.5
  • Control vs Pal-Care · Mean difference (final values): -0.9
  • Control vs Pal-Care · Mean difference (final values): -0.8

Adverse events

Collected over Up to 24 Weeks. Non-serious events are listed at a 0% frequency threshold.

Adverse event summary by group
GroupDeathsSeriousOther
Control17/43 (39.5%)19/43 (44.2%)0/43 (0%)
Pal-Care18/43 (41.9%)24/43 (55.8%)0/43 (0%)
Post-Intervention Interviews———
Most frequent serious events
Showing 10 of 60
Most frequent serious events
EventControlPal-CarePost-Intervention Interviews
Patient Expired at HomeGeneral disorders16/4314/43—
Patient Expired at Local HospitalGeneral disorders1/434/43—
Progression of DiseaseGeneral disorders2/430/43—
Consumption of a liquid mosquito repellentInjury, poisoning and procedural complications0/431/43—
Pleural effusionRespiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders0/431/43—
Progression of DiseaseRespiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders0/431/43—
Progression of DiseaseRespiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders0/431/43—
Progression of DiseaseRespiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders0/431/43—
Progression of DiseaseRespiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders0/431/43—
Progression of DiseaseRespiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders0/431/43—

Baseline characteristics

Baseline data was only meant to be collected for control and intervention participants. For the post-intervention interviews, the participants were people who had in some way engaged in the Pal-Care intervention as a provider, community health worker or patient. Hence for the research purpose, we are not double counting as the outcome data is only reflective of control and intervention groups and not impacted by the qualitative interviews.

Age, Continuous
Age, Continuous(years)ControlPal-CarePost-Intervention InterviewsTotal
Mean59.8 ± 12.860.4 ± 15.9—60.1 ± 14.3
Sex: Female, Male
Sex: Female, Male(Participants)ControlPal-CarePost-Intervention InterviewsTotal
Female2019039
Male2324047
Race (NIH/OMB)
Race (NIH/OMB)(Participants)ControlPal-CarePost-Intervention InterviewsTotal
American Indian or Alaska Native0000
Asian4343086
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander0000
Black or African American0000
White0000
More than one race0000
Unknown or Not Reported0000
Region of Enrollment
Region of Enrollment(Participants)ControlPal-CarePost-Intervention InterviewsTotal
India4343086
Marital Status
Marital Status(Participants)ControlPal-CarePost-Intervention InterviewsTotal
Single02—2
Married3629—65
Widowed712—19
Religion
Religion(Participants)ControlPal-CarePost-Intervention InterviewsTotal
Hindu3635—71
Muslim58—13
Christian20—2
Highest level of education completed
Highest level of education completed(Participants)ControlPal-CarePost-Intervention InterviewsTotal
Less than high school degree57—12
High school degree1618—34
Some college but no degree10—1
Bachelor degree (B.S, B.A, B.Com etc.)1716—33
Master's degree or above41—5
Prefer not to answer01—1
Employment status
Employment status(Participants)ControlPal-CarePost-Intervention InterviewsTotal
Employed with an organization01—1
Self-Employed44—8
Not employed, looking for work10—1
Not employed, NOT looking for work1613—29
Retired1013—23
Disabled, not able to work1211—23
Prefer not to answer01—1

14 further baseline measures are reported on the registry.

08

Study locations

1 site
  • Tata Medical Center
    Kolkata, West Bengal 700160, India
09

References and documents

Study documents

  • Study protocol · Apr 4, 2019
  • Statistical analysis plan · Jun 22, 2020
  • Informed consent form · Apr 4, 2019

Documents are hosted by the registry — open the source record to download them.

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No — MUSC researchers have access to ONLY de-identified data. All source documents and identifiers are with Dr. Gaurav Kumar, Site PI at TATA Medical Centre, Rajarhat, Kolkata, India

10

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Nov 27, 2024, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
11

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT04972630
Lead sponsor
Medical University of South Carolina
Collaborators
National Cancer Institute (NCI), Tata Medical Center
Responsible party
Suparna Qanungo (Associate Professor, Medical University of South Carolina) — Principal investigator
First posted
Jul 22, 2021
Start date
Nov 1, 2021
Primary completion
Jul 31, 2023
Completion
Jul 31, 2023
Results posted
Nov 27, 2024
Last update
Nov 27, 2024

Study contacts

Suparna Qanungo, PhD
principal investigator · Associate Professor

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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