NCT03935997

Implementing, Evaluating, and Scaling Up of the Strengthening a Palliative Approach in Long Term Care (SPA-LTC) Program

• Status: Active Not Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 594 (estimated)
• Sponsor: McMaster University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: —
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

This study will evaluate the implementation of the Strengthening a Palliative Approach in Long-Term Care (SPA-LTC) program using a cross-jurisdictional, effectiveness-implementation type II hybrid design (dual testing of clinical and implementation interventions) to assess the implementation (feasibility, fidelity, reach, sustainability) and effectiveness (family satisfaction, staff knowledge and confidence implementing a palliative approach to care, hospital use).

Detailed description

The SPA-LTC program has been developed and refined through prior participatory action based studies. Evidence-based components of the program include: Palliative Champion Teams; Palliative Care Education, including illness-trajectory pamphlets for staff and family members; Comfort Care Rounds with staff; Prognostic Tools to trigger end-of-life discussions; Palliative Care Conferences; Bereavement Pamphlets for families; and Post-Bereavement Follow-Up for families, and staff The goal is to implement and assess this program across three provinces in Canada (Ontario, Saskatchewan, Manitoba). The investigators will use the findings to revise the program and inform the scaling up of the program across diverse settings and provinces.

Conditions

• Frail Elderly Syndrome

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Strengthening a Palliative Approach in Long-Term Care (SPA-LTC) Program	Our team will work with long-term care homes in the study to implement the Strengthening a Palliative Approach in Long Term Care (SPA-LTC) which consists of the following core, evidence-informed components: Palliative Champion Teams (to provide leadership and support implementation); Palliative Care Education (including illness trajectory pamphlets); Comfort Care Rounds with staff (for capacity building and reflection); Prognostic Tools to trigger end-of-life discussions; Palliative Care Conferences with families and residents; Bereavement Pamphlets; and Post-Bereavement Follow-Up for families, and staff.

Timeline

• Start date: 2022-06-01
• Primary completion: 2025-01-31
• Completion: 2026-01-31
• First posted: 2019-05-02
• Last updated: 2025-09-25

Locations

4 sites across 1 country: Canada