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Primary Palliative Care - a Feasibility Cluster Trial
Sponsor: University of Coimbra
Summary
This feasibility cluster-controlled randomized trial (RCT) evaluates a complex intervention for the delivery of primary palliative care in Family Health Units (FHUs). The intervention consists of training General Practitioners (GPs) in palliative care through a 30 hour e-learning program and implementing a structured consultation model (4 consultations over 12 weeks) for adult patients with advanced chronic illness. One FHU will receive the intervention and one FHU will follow usual care. The primary goal is to assess feasibility metrics (GP adherence, patient recruitment rate, and patient retention rate), which will inform the design of a subsequent full-scale cluster RCT.
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
18 Years - Any
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
30
Start Date
2026-10-01
Completion Date
2027-08-31
Last Updated
2026-08-03
Healthy Volunteers
No
Conditions
Interventions
Primary Palliative Care Complex Intervention (PrimPal)
1. GPs will receive an e-learning palliative care training programme with a 30-h load, including topics such as the role of communication, the main problems and symptoms of patients with palliative care needs and how to assess and control them. Additionally, the programme covered how to apply the newly developed medical consultation model and how to use the Integrated Palliative Care Outcome Scale (IPOS) patient version 2. Primary palliative care consultation model divided into five areas (1) summarizing clinical information, (2) objective symptoms' management, (3) assessment and coding of chronic diseases and symptoms, (4) planning clinical approach and (5) addressing other problems/concerns - 4 consultations over 12 weeks.
Locations (2)
Family Health Unit 1 - ULS Coimbra (Intervention)
Coimbra, Portugal
Family Health Unit 2 - ULS Coimbra (Control)
Coimbra, Portugal