Impact of the Therapeutic Alliance on Reduction of Disparities in Latino End-of-Life Cancer Care

NCT04342611 | Completed DMC

• 2 other identifiers: 224665K08CA245193-04
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 23
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The purpose of the study is to examine perceptions, barriers, and facilitators of a therapeutic alliance (TA) between Latino/a advanced cancer patients and their oncologists. We aim to qualitatively explore patient and oncologist perceptions of TA, barriers and facilitators of TA, and the perceived influence of Latino/a ethnicity on TA via in-depth interviews with oncologists (N=4) and focus groups with patients (N=10 patients). We hypothesize that we will be able to better understand the TA between Latino/a advanced cancer patients and their oncologists through the conduct of these focus groups and structured interviews .

Conditions

Cancer

Keywords

Latinos; Disparities

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Barriers and facilitators of the therapeutic alliance

  This qualitative study seeks to primarily investigate the barriers and facilitators to developing a therapeutic alliance between patients and their oncologists. As a qualitative study, there will be no objective measurements or assessments. Participants will be asked to verbally describe barriers and facilitators of developing a TA with their oncologist.

  Baseline

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Perceived influence of Latino/a ethnicity on the therapeutic alliance

  Baseline

Study Arms (1)

Observational (Patients under the care of TA Oncologist)

Latino patients with advanced cancer as defined in the inclusion criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 21 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)
• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

The study population will include patients and oncologists. The study population of patients will be drawn from patients who receive the majority of their oncologic care at the Duarte campus of City of Hope who meet the eligibility criteria as described above. There will be 10 patients recruited to participate in focus groups. Oncologists who work at City of Hope and serve the above defined patient population at the Duarte campus of City of Hope will be identified by convenience and purposive sampling. In-depth interviews will be conducted with 4 oncologists.

You may qualify if:

• identifying as ethnically Latino/a;
• locally advanced or metastatic cancer (gynecologic, lung, gastrointestinal, colorectal) and have experienced disease progression on at least first-line chemotherapy and
• ability to provide informed consent.

You may not qualify if:

• not fluent in English or Spanish;
• severely cognitively impaired \[44\];
• too ill or weak to participate in a focus group ;
• age under 21; and
• patients deemed inappropriate for the study by their treating oncologist.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• City of Hope Medical Center: lead
• National Cancer Institute (NCI): collaborator

Study Sites (1)

City of Hope Medical Center

Duarte, California, 91010, United States

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Neoplasms

Study Officials

• Ana I. Tergas, MD

  City of Hope Medical Center

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: COHORT
• Time Perspective: PROSPECTIVE
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: April 8, 2020
• First Posted: April 13, 2020
• Study Start: May 19, 2023
• Primary Completion: June 28, 2024
• Study Completion: June 28, 2024
• Last Updated: April 30, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-04

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: ANALYTIC CODE
• Time Frame: End of study
• Access Criteria: Upon request, we will provide the dataset to qualified investigators under a Data Use Agreement that provides for: (1) a commitment to using the data only for research purposes and not to identify any individual participant; (2) a commitment to securing the data using appropriate computer technology; and (3) a commitment to destroying or returning the data after analyses are completed.

Locations

US (1)