Improving supportive care for patients with Thoracic Malignancies - A randomized controlled trial

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Veteran Health
• Symptom Management

Background:

• Veterans exhibit higher lung cancer rates and often experience undertreated symptoms due to comorbidities and limited support.
• Proactive symptom screening is effective in civilians but unstudied in Veterans with lung cancer.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of a Veteran volunteer-led proactive symptom screening intervention for Veterans with lung cancer.
• To improve symptom documentation and patient-reported outcomes in this population.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial comparing a 9-month intervention with usual care.
• Intervention group receives weekly symptom assessments by a Veteran volunteer, reviewed by an oncology nurse practitioner.
• Primary outcome: improved symptom documentation at 6 months; secondary outcomes: patient-reported outcomes and acute care use.

Main Results:

• Data collection is ongoing; results will determine the intervention's impact on symptom documentation and patient outcomes.
• Analysis will compare symptom burden, patient activation, satisfaction, quality of life, and acute care utilization between groups.

Conclusions:

• Findings will inform strategies to enhance supportive care and reduce symptom burden for Veterans with lung cancer.
• This study addresses a significant concern for Veterans and their caregivers, potentially improving cancer care delivery.