15 Participants Needed

Dignity Therapy for End of Life Care

Recruiting at 6 trial locations
Age: 18+
Sex: Any
Trial Phase: Academic
Sponsor: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
No Placebo GroupAll trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Trial Summary

Do I need to stop my current medications for this trial?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. It seems focused on therapy rather than medication, so you may not need to change your current meds.

What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment Dignity Therapy for end-of-life care?

Research shows that Dignity Therapy can help reduce distress and improve the quality of life for people with terminal illnesses and their families. Studies have found that patients who received Dignity Therapy reported lower distress levels and positive feedback about the treatment.12345

Is Dignity Therapy safe for end-of-life care?

There is no specific safety data available for Dignity Therapy in the provided research articles. However, non-pharmaceutical trials in palliative care, like Dignity Therapy, may have challenges in reporting serious adverse events, but these are often related to the progression of the disease rather than the intervention itself.678910

How is Dignity Therapy different from other treatments for end-of-life care?

Dignity Therapy is a unique, short-term psychotherapy designed specifically to help patients at the end of life by addressing psychological and existential distress. Unlike other treatments that may focus on physical symptoms, this therapy aims to improve the patient's sense of dignity and reduce feelings of demoralization and the desire for death.1112131415

What is the purpose of this trial?

The purpose of this study is to find out if dignity therapy is practical and works well for sexual and gender minority (SGM) patients in MSK. SGM includes, but is not limited to, people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and/or queer/questioning (LGBTQ+). Dignity therapy is a type of psychotherapy where the clinician asks the patient questions to allow the patient to express their individual life story and ultimately be able to create a legacy document of their experiences that can be shared with their loved ones.

Research Team

WE

William E Rosa, Ph.D., MBE, NP

Principal Investigator

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for adult sexual and gender minority (SGM) patients, including LGBTQ+ individuals, who are in hospice care. They must be able to speak English and willing to participate in the therapy sessions in English. Patients with delirium or altered mental status that prevents them from giving consent cannot join.

Inclusion Criteria

SGM hospice patients identified through Metropolitan Jewish Health System (MJHS) Institute for Innovation in Palliative Care, New York
I speak English and am willing to receive treatment in English.

Exclusion Criteria

Delirium/altered mental status prohibitive of providing consent

Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Dignity Therapy Intervention

Participants undergo a 45-75 minute virtual dignity therapy session, which is recorded and transcribed

1 session
1 virtual visit

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for completion of the intervention and delivery of the poem

1 year

Treatment Details

Interventions

  • Dignity Therapy
Trial Overview The study is testing dignity therapy—a type of psychotherapy designed for SGM hospice patients. It involves discussing their life stories to create a legacy document that can be shared with loved ones, aiming to see if it's practical and effective at end of life.
Participant Groups
1Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Group I: Dignity TherapyExperimental Treatment1 Intervention
The DT intervention is a 45-75-minute virtual interview, which is recorded and transcribed within 72-96 hours of the interview.

Find a Clinic Near You

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Lead Sponsor

Trials
1,998
Recruited
602,000+

Findings from Research

Dignity Therapy (DT) was successfully implemented in a cancer center, showing feasibility and acceptability among 10 patients with metastatic cancer, indicating it can be integrated into clinical practice.
The intervention demonstrated positive outcomes in reducing existential distress and improving health-related quality of life, suggesting it could be beneficial for patients nearing the end of life.
Translating dignity therapy into practice: effects and lessons learned.Johns, SA.[2017]
Dignity therapy delivered online is feasible and acceptable for terminally ill patients, showing similar levels of effectiveness to traditional face-to-face therapy while reducing therapist time by about 40%.
Participants found the online format convenient, and the use of email for therapy may further lower costs and improve access, highlighting the potential for wider implementation of dignity therapy in clinical settings.
Dignity therapy online: Piloting an online psychosocial intervention for people with terminal illness.Bentley, B., O'Connor, M., Williams, A., et al.[2022]
Dignity therapy, a short-term psychotherapy for end-of-life patients, significantly reduced distress levels in participants compared to a control group, indicating its effectiveness in enhancing patient well-being.
The feasibility of implementing dignity therapy in a hospital setting was supported, though it requires 5.5 to 11 hours of therapist time, highlighting the importance of team support and resources for successful delivery.
Implementing Dignity Therapy Service into an Acute Cancer Care Setting - A Feasibility Study.Kelly, C., Kynoch, K., Ramis, MA.[2023]

References

Translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the Dignity Therapy Question Protocol to Brazilian Portuguese. [2023]
Translating dignity therapy into practice: effects and lessons learned. [2017]
Dignity therapy online: Piloting an online psychosocial intervention for people with terminal illness. [2022]
Implementing Dignity Therapy Service into an Acute Cancer Care Setting - A Feasibility Study. [2023]
The Effectiveness of Dignity Therapy as Applied to End-of-Life Patients with Cancer in Taiwan: A Quasi-Experimental Study. [2021]
Opioids, iatrogenic harm and disclosure of medical error. [2010]
Participant Safety in Multisite, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trials in Hospice/Palliative Care: Data from the Contracted Studies of the Australian National Palliative Care Clinical Studies Collaborative. [2023]
What should we report? Lessons learnt from the development and implementation of serious adverse event reporting procedures in non-pharmacological trials in palliative care. [2021]
Adverse Drug Reactions in Palliative Care. [2019]
Using Patient-Reported Outcomes to Describe the Patient Experience on Phase I Clinical Trials. [2022]
'Dignity therapy', a promising intervention in palliative care: A comprehensive systematic literature review. [2019]
Effect of dignity therapy on distress and end-of-life experience in terminally ill patients: a randomised controlled trial. [2022]
Effect of dignity therapy on end-of-life psychological distress in terminally ill Portuguese patients: A randomized controlled trial. [2018]
14.United Statespubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Efficacy of dignity therapy on depression and anxiety in Portuguese terminally ill patients: a phase II randomized controlled trial. [2017]
15.United Statespubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Hospice staff perspectives on Dignity Therapy. [2021]
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