Pilot Study of Spiritual Care vs. Informational Support for Advanced Lung or GI Cancer

This study is looking at how different types of support affect people with advanced (Stage IV) lung or gastrointestinal (GI) cancer. It compares "Spiritual Care," which involves discussing topics like meaning, purpose, and relationships with a chaplain, to "Informational Support," which focuses on quality of life, financial resources, and health information with a social worker. The main goal is to see if the Spiritual Care approach is practical and well-received, and if it improves your spiritual well-being. You could be eligible if you are at least 18 years old, have been diagnosed with incurable Stage IV lung or GI cancer within the last two weeks, and receive care at specific Indiana University Health or Eskenazi Health clinics. The study aims to enroll 36 participants, but its current recruitment status is unclear.

Study design
This is a pilot interventional study that will randomly assign 36 participants to either Spiritual Care or Informational Support.
What's involved
You would have 4 weekly visits for about 4 weeks, either with a chaplain for Spiritual Care or a social worker for Informational Support.
Compensation
Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up
Your spiritual well-being will be measured at 1, 6, and 12 weeks after the intervention.

AI-generated from the public study record. Only the study team can confirm whether you're eligible — confirm details with them before making decisions.

NCT07176559

Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial of Informational Support Versus Spiritual Care

Active, Not Recruiting
NAAges 18+InterventionalSupportive care
Indiana University
~36 participants
Updated 2026-07-02 on ClinicalTrials.gov
What's tested:Spiritual CareInformational Support

At a glance

Recruiting sites
0 of 4 listed sites are recruiting right now
RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open
What they're measuring
Evaluation of feasibility of the Spiritual Care Assessment and Intervention (SCAI) framework vs informational support
Measured over Visits 1-4, approximately weekly, within 3 months of enrollment
+2 more outcomes measured
Stage IV Lung Cancer
Stage IV Gastrointestinal Cancer
4 sites across 1 states
Indiana4
  • Shelley Johns, PsyD · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · Indiana University

This trial hasn't published a contact. View it on ClinicalTrials.gov

  • Evaluation of feasibility of the Spiritual Care Assessment and Intervention (SCAI) framework vs informational supportVisits 1-4, approximately weekly, within 3 months of enrollment

    Percentage of participants 1) enrolling; 2) completing 3 or more intervention sessions; 3) completing all study interviews

  • Evaluation of acceptability of the Spiritual Care Assessment and Intervention (SCAI) framework vs informational supportVisits 1-4, approximately weekly, within 3 months of enrollment; survey 1-week post-intervention

    Acceptability Intervention Measure (AIM) This 4-item scale was developed as part of the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) to evaluate intervention acceptability. Each item is rated on a 5-point scale, ranging from 1 (completely disagree) to 5 (completely agree). Responses are averaged to create a scale score. Higher scores indicate greater acceptability. This is a primary outcome for patients.

  • Test the effects of spiritual care on the outcome of spiritual wellbeing1, 6, and 12 weeks post intervention

    Measured by the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy - Spirituality (FACIT-Sp): Spiritual wellbeing will be assessed using the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spirituality (FACIT-Sp) 12-item measure. Each item is rated when considering the past week on a scale from 0 (not at all) to 4 (very much). Scores are the sum of individual items with total scores ranging from 0 to 48. Higher scores indicate higher spiritual well-being. This is a primary outcome for patients.