A Communication Tool to Assist Older Adults Facing Dialysis Choices

ID#: NCT04466865

Age: 60 years - 66+

Gender: All

Healthy Subjects: No

Study Phase: N/A

Recruitment Status: Enrolling by invitation

Start Date: October 01, 2020

End Date: January 01, 2025

Summary: The purpose of this study is to test the effect of the "Best Case/Worse Case" (BC/WC) communication tool on receipt of palliative care and intensity of treatment at the end of life, quality of life, and quality of communication for older patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) receiving outpatient care at ten nephrology clinics. The intervention was developed and tested with acute care surgical patients at the University of Wisconsin (UW) and is now being testing to see if the intervention will work in a different setting. The intervention will be tested with 320 older adults who have end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and are receiving care from a nephrologist enrolled in the study. Randomly assigned nephrologists within each site will receive the intervention (training to use the BC/WC tool) or to be in the waitlist control, meaning that they will not be offered BC/WC training until the end of the study, when all participants have been enrolled. Participants will be on follow up with surveys and chart review for up to two years after study enrollment. Caregivers will also be invited to participate and complete surveys.
Eligibility:

Inclusion Criteria:

- Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of less than or equal to 24

- Not currently on dialysis (participants are eligible if they have had intermittent dialysis in the past or have dialysis access in place but are not currently on dialysis)

- Participants must meet one or more of the following criteria: age greater than 80, evidence from the medical record that the patient has comorbid illness such that the modified Charlson score is 4 or greater, or a negative response to the standard "Surprise Question" ("Would you be surprised if this patient died in the next year?") from the participant's nephrologist.

Exclusion Criteria:

- Currently on dialysis

- Lack decision-making capacity

- Do not speak English
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