Multi-disciplinary Care for Brain Cancer
Recruiting in Palo Alto (17 mi)
Age: 18+
Sex: Any
Travel: May Be Covered
Time Reimbursement: Varies
Trial Phase: Academic
Recruiting
Sponsor: University of Vermont Medical Center
Disqualifiers: Under 18, Pregnant
No Placebo Group
Trial Summary
What is the purpose of this trial?This is a health services intervention study aimed at understanding the impact of intensive multi-disciplinary care compared with standard care on patient-reported symptom outcomes and prognostic awareness in patients with brain metastases.
Will I have to stop taking my current medications?
The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. It's best to discuss this with the trial coordinators or your doctor.
What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment 'Multi-disciplinary Care for Brain Cancer'?
Research shows that a multidisciplinary approach, where multiple specialists work together, improves patient outcomes in various cancers, including brain cancer. This approach allows for comprehensive care and better coordination, which can lead to improved quality of life and treatment success.
12345Is multi-disciplinary care generally safe for humans?
Research shows that involving a pharmacist in a multi-disciplinary care team can help prevent adverse drug events (harmful reactions to medications) in adults, suggesting that this approach is generally safe and can reduce medication-related risks.
678910How is the treatment 'Intensive Multi-disciplinary Care' for brain cancer different from other treatments?
Intensive Multi-disciplinary Care for brain cancer is unique because it involves a team of specialists from different fields working together to create a comprehensive treatment plan, allowing patients to see multiple providers on the same day. This approach aims to improve coordination and decision-making, which can lead to better patient outcomes compared to traditional care where specialists work independently.
13111213Eligibility Criteria
This clinical trial is for patients with brain metastases, which are cancerous tumors that have spread to the brain. Participants should be those who require a new approach to care and are currently receiving standard treatment.Inclusion Criteria
I can complete questionnaires in English.
I am 18 years old or older.
I have been newly diagnosed with brain metastases from a solid tumor.
+2 more
Exclusion Criteria
I am 18 years old or older.
Pregnant patients are not eligible.
Trial Timeline
Screening
Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial
2-4 weeks
Treatment
Participants receive either standard of care or intensive multi-disciplinary care for brain metastases
6-12 months
Follow-up
Participants are monitored for symptom burden, feasibility, and survival outcomes
6-12 months
Participant Groups
The study is testing whether an intensive multi-disciplinary care approach can improve patient-reported symptoms and awareness of their prognosis compared to standard care in individuals with brain metastases.
2Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Active Control
Group I: Multidisciplinary CareExperimental Treatment1 Intervention
Group II: Standard of CareActive Control1 Intervention
Find a Clinic Near You
Research Locations NearbySelect from list below to view details:
University of Vermont Medical CenterBurlington, VT
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Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?
University of Vermont Medical CenterLead Sponsor
References
Neuro-oncology Multidisciplinary Clinic and Improvements in Patient Outcome. [2021]Neuro-oncology care is becoming increasingly complex and patients often see multiple specialists. Multidisciplinary clinic (MDC) is a patient-centric option to allow multiple specialists to be involved where patients see multiple providers on the same day.
Good practice in the management of adults with malignant cerebral glioma: clinical guidelines. Working Group, Royal College of Physicians. [2019]This paper proposes guidelines for good practice in the management of adults with malignant cerebral glioma. These guidelines were developed by a working group comprising representatives of the medical specialties involved in patient care, specialist nursing staff, purchasers, charitable bodies, and patient and relative representatives. Both the research literature on the effectiveness of medical intervention, and the views of patients and relatives about the care they had received were considered. The document proposes a consensus view about ways to improve patient care and considers several stages of the illness and its care: I, the diagnostic phase; II, deciding on an appropriate treatment plan; III, the organization of follow-up services; IV, the management of transitions from hospital to community settings; and V, purchasing care for patients with malignant brain tumours. An audit package derived from the guidelines is available which will enable staff within a treatment centre to compare their practice against these standards. A final section suggests topics which require further research, and sets out the core requirements for studies that will help answer questions about treatment and the benefits for patients in terms of improved quality of life.
How to implement the multidisciplinary approach in prostate cancer management: the Belgian model. [2022]The Belgian oncology care system has been the subject of a major reorganization in recent years. The basis of this reorganization is the obligatory implementation of standardized care programmes in every hospital and the recognition of dedicated oncology specialists. Furthermore, health authorities created the multidisciplinary oncology consultation (MOC), as it was recognized that there was a need to organize and to reimburse the existing multidisciplinary approach. At MOC, a patient's case is discussed and a strategic plan is developed for diagnosis, treatment and follow-up. The conditions that have to be met for reimbursement of this MOC are strictly defined by law and include yearly follow-up meetings. The success of this multidisciplinary approach is partially attributable to legal requirements and reimbursement, but also to the willingness of the medical community to accept the concept that a multidisciplinary approach is the best investment to improve patient outcomes in cancer care.
Team functioning across different tumour types: Insights from a Swiss cancer center using qualitative and quantitative methods. [2022]Multidisciplinary care is pivotal in cancer centres and the interaction of all cancer disease specialists in decision making processes is state-of-the-art.
[Multidisciplinary approach in breast cancer care]. [2009]With the improvement of imaging, pathology, surgery, and medical treatment, breast carcinoma care has moved toward a multidisciplinary approach to co-ordinate expertise of multiple medical specialists and to achieve an optimal management. In this multidisciplinary team, the patient must keep a "reference physician" who may interact with her on behalf of the whole team and the general practitioner.
Adverse drug events resulting in admission to the intensive care unit in oncology patients: Incidence, characteristics and associated cost. [2013]Describe the incidence, characteristics and cost of adverse drug events that necessitate admission to the intensive care unit in oncology patients.
Intervention of pharmacist included in multidisciplinary team to reduce adverse drug event: a qualitative systematic review. [2023]Preventable harm in healthcare is a growing public health challenge. In addition to the economic costs of safety failures, adverse drug events (ADE) may lead to complication or even death. Multidisciplinary care team involving a pharmacist appears to be an adequate response to prevention of adverse drug event. This qualitative systematic review aims to identify and describe multidisciplinary planned team-based care involving at least one pharmacist to limit or prevent adverse drug events in the adult patients.
Targeting outpatient drug safety: recommendations of the Dutch HARM-Wrestling Task Force. [2021]Two Dutch observational studies (HARM [Hospital Admissions Related to Medication] and IPCI [Integrated Primary Care Information]) have shown that approximately 5% of all unplanned hospital admissions are associated with adverse drug events (ADEs), of which 40-46% are potentially preventable. These studies prompted the initiation of a Dutch multidisciplinary task force, which was assigned to reduce the number of prescriber-related hospital admissions related to medications (HARMs) in a quick-win way.
Adverse events in neurosurgery and their relationship to quality improvement. [2015]Adverse events are common in neurosurgery. Their reporting is inconsistent and widely variable due to nonuniform definitions, data collection mechanisms, and retrospective data collection. Historically, neurosurgery has lagged behind general and cardiac surgical fields in the creation of multi-institutional prospective databases allowing for benchmarking and accurate adverse event/outcomes measurement, the bedrock of evidence used to guide quality improvement initiatives. The National Neurosurgery Quality and Outcomes Database has begun to address this issue by collecting prospective, multi-institutional outcomes data in neurosurgical patients. Once reliable outcomes exist, various targeted quality improvement strategies may be used to reduce adverse events and improve outcomes.
CareTrack Kids-part 3. Adverse events in children's healthcare in Australia: study protocol for a retrospective medical record review. [2019]A high-quality health system should deliver care that is free from harm. Few large-scale studies of adverse events have been undertaken in children's healthcare internationally, and none in Australia. The aim of this study is to measure the frequency and types of adverse events encountered in Australian paediatric care in a range of healthcare settings.
The role of tumor board conferences in neuro-oncology: a nationwide provider survey. [2018]The tumor board or multidisciplinary cancer meeting (MCM) is the foundation of high value multidisciplinary oncology care, coordinating teams of specialists. Little is known on how these meetings are implemented in Neuro-oncology. Benefits of MCMs include coordination, direction for complicated cases, education, and a forum for communication, emerging technology, and clinical trials. This study identifies participation and utilization of neuro-oncology MCMs. A cross-sectional descriptive survey was dispersed through an internet questionnaire. The Society of Neuro-Oncology and the American Brain Tumor Association provided a list of dedicated neuro-oncology centers. All National Cancer Institute designated centers, and participants in the Adult Brain Tumor Consortium or the Brain Tumor Trials Collaborative were included, identifying 85 centers. Discussion included primary brain tumors (100%), challenging cases (98%), recurrent disease (96%), neoplastic spine disease (93%), metastatic brain lesions (89%), pre-surgical cases (82%), pathology (76%), and paraneoplastic disease (40%). MCMs were composed of neuro-oncologists, neurosurgeons, and radiation oncologists (100%), radiologists (98%), pathologists (96%), and clinical trial participants (64%). Individual preparation ranged from 15 to 300 min. MCMs were valued for clinical decision making (94%), education (89%), and access to clinical trials (69%). 13% documented MCMs in the medical record. 38% of centers used a molecular tumor board; however, many commented with uncertainty as to how this is defined. Neuro-oncology MCMs at leading U.S. institutions demonstrate congruity of core disciplines, cases discussed, and perceived value. We identified variability in preparation time and implementation of MCM recommendations. There is high uncertainty as to the definition and application of a molecular tumor board.
Improvements in quality of care resulting from a formal multidisciplinary tumour clinic in the management of high-grade glioma. [2022]There is increasing belief that a formal protocol-based multidisciplinary care model should be adopted as an optimal care model in oncology. However, there is minimal outcome evidence to demonstrate an improvement in patient care. The aim of this study was to compare clinical quality outcomes between patients with high-grade glioma managed at one hospital using a formal neuro-oncology multidisciplinary tumour clinic (MTC) and a second hospital with a traditional on-call referral pattern (non-MTC).
Editorial: Brain tumour treatment: the concept of inter- and multidisciplinary treatment. [2018]The treatment of brain tumors has improved in recent years. The principles of treatment are accurate diagnosis by imaging and neuropathology, treatment by neurosurgery, neurooncology, medical oncology, radiotherapy and optimal care and supportive strategies in a multidisciplinary setting. The development of multidisciplinary neurooncologic teams and of centers of excellence will further improve treatment quality and care. The multidisciplinary team is not confined to medical treatment alone, but needs the expertise of specially trained nurses, psychologists, occupational therapists, speech therapists and social workers to meet the needs of patients and carers.