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Home-Based Palliative Care for Kidney Failure (SHEPHERD 2 Trial)

N/A
Waitlist Available
Research Sponsored by University of Pennsylvania
Eligibility Criteria Checklist
Specific guidelines that determine who can or cannot participate in a clinical trial
Must have
Be an adult (18 years of age or older) hospitalized at a Penn study hospital
Be older than 18 years old
Timeline
Screening 3 weeks
Treatment Varies
Follow Up 1- and 3-months
Awards & highlights
No Placebo-Only Group

Summary

This trial will evaluate if referrals to home palliative care services improve outcomes for patients with ESRD. Increasing access to these services could improve patient care.

Who is the study for?
This trial is for adults over 18 with End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) who've been hospitalized at a Penn hospital, live in the surrounding Philadelphia area, and show signs of needing more care at home. They shouldn't already be receiving palliative care but may have had multiple hospitalizations or other health issues like severe malnutrition.
What is being tested?
The study tests if 'nudging' ESRD patients towards home palliative care services after they leave the hospital helps improve their quality of life compared to usual care without these extra services. It's about seeing if more support at home makes a difference.
What are the potential side effects?
Since this trial involves referrals to supportive care rather than medication, there are no direct side effects from drugs. However, changes in healthcare management could affect patient comfort and well-being.

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

You may be eligible if you check “Yes” for the criteria below
Select...
I am 18 or older and hospitalized at a Penn study hospital.

Timeline

Screening ~ 3 weeks
Treatment ~ Varies
Follow Up ~1- and 3-months
This trial's timeline: 3 weeks for screening, Varies for treatment, and 1- and 3-months for reporting.

Treatment Details

Study Objectives

Study objectives can provide a clearer picture of what you can expect from a treatment.
Primary study objectives
Acute Encounters
Secondary study objectives
Health-Related Quality of Life
Home Palliative Care Visits
Hospice Enrollment
+5 more

Awards & Highlights

No Placebo-Only Group
All patients enrolled in this study will receive some form of active treatment.

Trial Design

2Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Active Control
Group I: InterventionExperimental Treatment1 Intervention
The inpatient care team, including the attending/ordering and covering providers, for participants in this group will receive a message from the research team identifying their patient as appropriate for home palliative care and will be asked to refer their patient for these services.
Group II: Usual CareActive Control1 Intervention
Participants in this group will receive usual care upon discharge from the hospital. Their clinical team will not be notified that they are appropriate for home palliative care services, but they may still be referred for those services if their clinicians feel their patient will benefit.

Find a Location

Who is running the clinical trial?

University of PennsylvaniaLead Sponsor
2,084 Previous Clinical Trials
42,726,733 Total Patients Enrolled
1 Trials studying Kidney Failure
94,017 Patients Enrolled for Kidney Failure
~157 spots leftby Dec 2025