12 Clinical Trials for Various Conditions
The purpose of this study is to learn if the Pain in Advanced Dementia (PAINAD) scale can improve emergency pain care in persons living with dementia (PLWD). It is hypothesized that a PAINAD electronic health record (EHR) prompt that appears to emergency department (ED) staff will enable them to accurately assess pain levels and lead to better pain treatment for PLWD.
The Aliviado Dementia Care Program (formerly known as the Dementia Symptom Management at Home Program, or DSM-H) was developed to implement dementia friendly care for persons with Dementia and their caregivers living in the community. Aliviado Dementia Care-Hospice Edition is a systems level quality assurance performance improvement program that includes interdisciplinary team training, validated assessment instruments, patient-centered care plans, treatment algorithms for behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia and terminal delirium, and caregiver education pamphlets. Utilizing the R61/R33 mechanism, the Aliviado Dementia Care-Hospice Edition was successfully implemented in 2 sequential pilot trials in the hospice setting in 2019 (R61 phase). Following the successful pilot trials and the attainment of the R61 milestones, the investigators now seek to test the effectiveness of Aliviado Dementia Care-Hospice Edition in a pragmatic RCT in 25 hospice agencies across the nation (R33 phase) on its ability to reduce antipsychotic use (primary outcome) and effect quality (secondary and exploratory outcomes).
Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders (dementia) are a group of serious life limiting illness that cause significant challenges to our public health system, with significant illness burden for both the person with dementia and the caregiver. At the end of life, over 230,000 persons with dementia annually are cared for in hospice, yet hospice agencies are ill prepared to care for this population and often resort to inappropriate pharmacologic measures such as antipsychotics that reduce quality of life rather than improve it. This study will therefore through its two phases refine and then implement, using a pragmatic stepped wedge trial design, the Dementia Symptom Management at Home Program Hospice Edition, with the goal improving quality of care for the person with dementia and their caregiver, reducing antipsychotic use, and increasing bereaved caregiver satisfaction in the hospice setting.
The objective of this study is to generate preliminary data for a large multi-site randomized clinical trial of a model of palliative care consultation for patients with advanced dementia, and for their family caregivers.
To conduct a pilot study of cluster randomized clinical trial of an practice intervention to improve the quality of care for suspected lower respiratory and and urinary tract infections among 60 nursing home residents with advanced dementia living in 4 facilities (2 matched intervention/control pairs) for 12 months. We hypothesize that 1. In the intervention compared to the control facilities there will be a trend towards a greater proportion of infections for which antimicrobials were initiated appropriately, and 2. in the intervention compared to the control facilities there will be a trend towards higher proxy satisfaction with decision-making, fewer hospital transfers, and lower antimicrobial exposure.
This cluster randomized controlled trial is to examine whether decision support for goals of care can improve quality of communication and decision-making and improve the quality of palliative care for nursing home residents with advanced dementia.
This is a 5-year cluster RCT of a video Advance Care Planning intervention vs. control among 360 nursing home residents with advanced dementia (N=180/arm) in 20 matched nursing homes (10 intervention/10 control). Clinical outcomes will be collected at baseline, and quarterly (up to 12-months) regarding goals of care preferences, advance care planning, and treatments received. The primary outcome is decisions not to be hospitalized at 6 months.
Advance care planning allows people to have their wishes taken into account even in the advanced stages of the persons' condition and at the end of life when the person may be unable to communicate. However, a recent review found an absence of high-quality guidelines for advanced care planning in dementia care. Since few evidence-based resources exist, the investigators propose a study to generate, refine, and pilot test an education information sheet designed to promote advanced care planning among families of persons with dementia.
The purpose of this study is to determine the clinical application of advanced ophthalmic imaging devices such as optical coherence tomography (OCT), retinal function imager (RFI), slit-lamp biomicroscopy (SLB), PERG in diseased eyes and normal controls. There are two phases in this study. The first phase is an observational phase which studies the eye in various conditions. The second phase is an interventional phase which studies the changes in the eyes after taking an over-the-counter medical food (Ocufolin) for 6 months.
This clinical trial studies cognitive function in men with prostate cancer treated with androgen receptor directed therapies such as abiraterone acetate and enzalutamide. The investigators use MRI imaging (non-invasive, non-contrast) to see whether there are changes in brain structure or activity related to treatment that may be related to changes in cognitive function. The investigators are also looking for genetic variations that might make patients more or less sensitive to cognitive changes during treatment for prostate cancer.
The purpose of this research is to examine the feasibility of using a patient portal based advance care planning (ACP) tool to improve ACP discussions and documentation in persons living with cognitive impairment in outpatient primary care.
Aim 1. To compare across three hospital sites the effects on health and cost outcomes observed by the following three interventions, each designed to enhance adaptation and improve outcomes of hospitalized cognitively impaired elders and their caregivers: 1. augmented standard care (ASC) - standard hospital and, if referred, home care plus early identification of CI during the patients' hospitalization by trained registered nurses (RNs) with immediate feedback to patients' primary nurses, attending physicians and discharge planners; 2. resource nurse care (RNC) - standard hospital and, if referred, home care plus early identification of CI during the patient's hospitalization by trained RNs and hospital care by RNs trained in the use of expert clinical guidelines developed to enhance the care management of hospitalized cognitively impaired elders and to facilitate their transition from hospital to home; or, 3. advanced practice nurse care (APNC) - standard hospital care plus transitional (hospital to home) care substituting for standard home care and provided by APNs with advanced training in the management of CI patients using an evidence-based protocol designed specifically for this patient group and their caregivers. \[H1\] We hypothesize that health and cost outcomes with APNC, a comprehensive intervention designed to meet the unique needs of cognitively impaired older adults hospitalized for an acute medical or surgical event and their caregivers will be associated, relative to health and cost outcomes with ASC and RNC, with improvement in patient, caregiver and cost outcomes. \[H2\] We hypothesize that improvements in patient, caregiver and cost outcomes observed for the RNC group will be greater than those observed for the ASC group. Aim 2. To compare within each site and over time, health and cost outcomes (identified in Aim 1) from patients treated with either ASC or RNC, both relatively lower intensity interventions, with the outcomes of patients at the same site observed after switching to APNC, a high intensity intervention. \[H3\] We hypothesize that compared to patients receiving the ASC or the RNC interventions, patients at the same site will have improved patient, caregiver and cost outcomes after the site switches to APNC. \[H4\] We hypothesize that patient, caregiver and cost outcomes achieved by the groups receiving APNC interventions at T1 and T2 will be similar.