Patient Perceptions of the Relational Empathy of Healthcare Practitioners From the Department of Emergency Medicine During the COVID-19 Pandemic

NCT05102656 | Active Not Recruiting

• 2 other identifiers: 2020-1298NCI-2021-10960
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 107
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study investigates patients' perceptions of their doctor's or nurse's empathy during an in-person interaction with the doctor or nurse wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) compared to during a video interaction with the doctor or nurse without PPE. The goal of this research study is to learn whether patients who visit the Acute Cancer Care Center at MD Anderson believe they get better (more empathetic) care from doctors who visit them in person wearing PPE or from doctors who visit them by video call and do not wear PPE.

Conditions

COVID-19 Infection; Hematopoietic and Lymphoid Cell Neoplasm; Malignant Solid Neoplasm

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Patients' perceptions of healthcare provider empathy

  Univariate linear regression analysis will be used to determine the association between the approach (in-person interaction/with personal protective equipment \[PPE\] versus video interaction/without PPE) and the composite scores or scores for each question (for each of the two tools \[the CARE Measure and the linear empathy tool\]).

  Through study completion, an average of 1 year

Study Arms (2)

Group A (video call)

OTHER

Patients receive standard of care via video call with treating physician.

Procedure: Discussion; Other: Questionnaire Administration

Group B (in-person)

OTHER

Patients receive standard of care in-person physician visits.

Other: Best Practice; Other: Questionnaire Administration

Interventions

Best Practice OTHER

Physician conversations occur in-person

Also known as: standard of care, standard therapy

Group B (in-person)

Discussion PROCEDURE

Physician conversations occur via video call

Also known as: Discuss

Group A (video call)

Questionnaire Administration OTHER

Ancillary studies

Group A (video call); Group B (in-person)

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• \>= 18 years old
• Able to speak and write in English
• Able to understand and willing to sign a written informed consent document
• Willing and able to complete the study assessment(s)

You may not qualify if:

• Refuses to participate
• Too ill to participate, in the estimation of the patient's physician

Sponsors & Collaborators

• M.D. Anderson Cancer Center: lead

Study Sites (1)

M D Anderson Cancer Center

Houston, Texas, 77030, United States

Location

Related Links

• M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

MeSH Terms

Conditions

COVID-19; Hematologic Neoplasms

Interventions

Practice Guidelines as Topic; Standard of Care

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Pneumonia, Viral; Pneumonia; Respiratory Tract Infections; Infections; Virus Diseases; Coronavirus Infections; Coronaviridae Infections; Nidovirales Infections; RNA Virus Infections; Lung Diseases; Respiratory Tract Diseases; Neoplasms by Site; Neoplasms; Hematologic Diseases; Hemic and Lymphatic Diseases

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Guidelines as Topic; Quality Assurance, Health Care; Quality of Health Care; Health Services Administration; Health Care Quality, Access, and Evaluation; Quality Indicators, Health Care

Study Officials

• Kumar Alagappan

  M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: October 29, 2021
• First Posted: November 1, 2021
• Study Start: June 2, 2021
• Primary Completion (Estimated): February 2, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): February 2, 2027
• Last Updated: November 17, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-11

Locations

US (1)