NCT07141407

Telephone-Based Coaching Sessions (TAC) to Improve Advance Care Planning Participation in Advanced Cancer Patients and Their Support Person

Community-Engaged Pilot Testing of Talking About Cancer (TAC) to Improve Engagement in Advance Care Planning

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 80 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

This clinical trial studies whether telephone-based coaching sessions, Talking About Cancer (TAC), work to improve engagement in advance care planning (ACP) in patients with cancer that may have spread from where it first started to nearby tissue, lymph nodes, or distant parts of the body (advanced) and their support person. Participation in ACP, which includes having end of life (EOL) care conversations and completing advance directives (e.g., living will, health care proxy, do not resuscitate order), improves quality EOL care. Despite this, less than half of patients with advanced cancer have EOL care conversations or complete advance directives. TAC coaching sessions are delivered by a social worker over the phone. They are designed to help patients and their support person communicate about ACP, manage the distress these conversations can cause, and participate in the process of ACP with a clear action plan of having goals-of-care conversations and completing advance directives. This may be an effective way to improve ACP participation in advanced cancer patients and their support person.

Detailed description

OUTLINE: Participants are randomized to 1 of 2 arms. ARM I: Participants attend Talking About Cancer (TAC) telephone-based coaching sessions (2 sessions) designed to support participants in communicating about advance care planning (ACP), managing distress around ACP conversations, engaging in the process of ACP, and completing advance directives over 45-60 minutes each once a week (QW) for 2 weeks. ARM II: Participants receive an ACP brochure/handout on study. After completion of study intervention, participants are followed up at 6- and 12-weeks post-randomization.

Conditions

• Advanced Malignant Solid Neoplasm
• Hematopoietic and Lymphatic System Neoplasm

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Supportive Care	Attend TAC telephone-based coaching sessions
BEHAVIORAL	Telephone-Based Intervention	Attend TAC telephone-based coaching sessions
OTHER	Survey Administration	Ancillary studies
OTHER	Educational Intervention	Receive an ACP brochure/handout

Timeline

• Start date: 2026-05-01
• Primary completion: 2026-10-12
• Completion: 2026-12-14
• First posted: 2025-08-26
• Last updated: 2026-04-13

Locations

2 sites across 1 country: United States