Algorithm-enabled Goals of Care Communication for Veterans with Cancer

This study is looking at ways to improve conversations about your goals and preferences for care if you are a Veteran with cancer. It compares two approaches: usual care, which is the standard care you would normally receive, and usual care plus A-EPAC. A-EPAC is an educational and support program where a lay health worker (a trained person who is not a medical professional) helps you talk about your care goals with your oncology team. The study aims to see if A-EPAC helps more Veterans with cancer have these important discussions, specifically by improving the documentation of your life-sustaining treatment preferences. We are looking for 200 Veterans with any stage of solid cancer who are receiving cancer treatment, speak English or Spanish, and are receiving care at one of seven specific VA sites. This study is currently unclear on its recruitment status.

Study design
This is an interventional study that plans to enroll 200 participants. Participants will be randomly assigned to either receive usual care or usual care plus the A-EPAC intervention.
What's involved
Participants will receive either usual cancer care or a 6-month telephone-based intervention with a lay health worker. You will be asked to complete questionnaires.
Compensation
Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up
Participants will be followed for 12 months after joining the study. The main outcome is measured at 3 months.

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

NCT07690904

Algorithm-enabled Goals of Care Communication

Not Yet Recruiting
NAAges 18+InterventionalHealth services
VA Office of Research and Development
~200 participants
Updated 2026-07-29 on ClinicalTrials.gov
What's tested:Usual CareUsual Care + A-EPAC

At a glance

Recruiting sites
0 of 1 listed site is recruiting right now
RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open
What they're measuring
Life Sustaining Treatment Documentation
Measured over 3 months
Cancer

NCT07690904

Where you'd take part

This study runs at 1 site. They're the same protocol — you choose where, and that choice sets who your contact draft is addressed to.

  • VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA

    Palo Alto, Californiastudy coordinator listed

Sites open and close at different times, so the status above is per site — it can differ from the study's overall status.

  • Manali I Patel, MD MSPH · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA

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Eligibility criteria

Inclusion

Veteran patients with diagnosis of a solid malignancy with any cancer stage
English or Spanish-speaking
Can self-administer questionnaires in English or Spanish
Valid telephone number
Receiving oncology care at one of 7 sites
Receiving systemic anti-cancer therapy, defined as oral, injection, or intravenous therapy
chemotherapy
hormone therapy
targeted therapy
or immunotherapy defined by the National Cancer Institute A to Z List of Cancer Drugs)
CAN risk score ≥98th percentile (may be adjusted after examining site-level CAN performance)

Exclusion

No capacity to consent
Actively receiving hospice care
  • Life Sustaining Treatment Documentation3 months

    Proportion of participants in both study groups who have a life sustaining treatment document in the electronic health record.