ChemotherapyNCT01723436
Effects of Repeated Decision Making Among Surrogates of Seriously Ill Patients
A study testing Hypothetical scenarios and related decisions in people with Chemotherapy, run by University of Pennsylvania at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
Decision making capacity fatigues after repeated decisions similar to skeletal muscle. The result is decision fatigue, in which subsequent decisions are altered toward the status quo. Surrogates are at risk for decision fatigue yet it has not been studied. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Chemotherapy
- What is being tested?
- Hypothetical scenarios and related decisions
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 132 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- Nov 2012to Apr 2013
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Patients must have one of the following diagnoses: aplastic anemia, multiple myeloma, myelodysplastic syndrome, acute myeloid leukemia, stage IIIB or IV lung cancer, mesothelioma and/or stage IIIB or IV gastrointestinal cancer (pancreatic, biliary, esophageal, gastric, hepatocellular, colon), stage IV melanoma.
- Patients must have at least one surrogate at their clinic visit who is willing to enroll with them as a pair to be included.
- Surrogates are eligible if an eligible patient identifies them as as a surrogate and both consent for the study.
- All participants must be over the age 18
- All participants must be fluent in English
Who cannot join
- Patients and surrogates will be excluded if they are illiterate or have a medical condition known to alter Stroop performance. These include individuals who are visually impaired such that they cannot read a computer screen, blind or colorblind, patients given sedating medications during their appointment and individuals with past medical history of cerebrovascular accident, transient ischemic attack (TIA), seizure disorder, dementia or traumatic head injury with loss of consciousness.
- Patients will be ineligible if they have either tracheostomy or are currently on hemodialysis as these would significantly alter responses to the mechanical ventilation hypothetical scenario and the hypothetical life sustaining therapy question.
- Surrogates and patients are ineligible if their paired participant is excluded for any of the above reasons.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104
About this study
Official title: Pilot Study of Repeated Decision Making in Surrogates
Decision making capacity fatigues after repeated decisions similar to skeletal muscle. The result is decision fatigue, in which subsequent decisions are altered toward the status quo. Surrogates are at risk for decision fatigue yet it has not been studied. We propose a randomized study in the outpatient setting in surrogates and patients at high risk for needing to make complex decisions, in an effort to determine the impact of decision fatigue on surrogate self-control and subsequent choices.
Read the detailed description
Just as skeletal muscle fatigues after repeated use, decision-making capacity fatigues when repeated choices are made. This phenomenon, in which people experience diminished concentration and willpower after repeated decision-making, is termed decision fatigue. People experiencing decision fatigue are more likely to bias subsequent choices toward the status quo. By choosing the status quo, the decision-maker reserves the option to make an alternate choice at a later time, thereby preserving possibilities. Patients and their surrogates often make complex medical decisions for which they may have little experience. Although clearly at high risk, decision fatigue has not been studied in this population. To elucidate these questions, we propose a four-arm study of surrogates and patients in a population at high risk for making complex decisions. Surrogates will be randomly assigned to varied levels of decision making effort to assess for the development of resultant decision fatigue and whether it alters subsequent decisions.
- Conditions
- Chemotherapy
- Being tested
- Hypothetical scenarios and related decisions
- Keywords
- Decision fatigue
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Hypothetical scenarios and related decisionsOther
Surrogates are exposed to three hypothetical medical scenarios that require varying levels of decision making. We will be assessing how this experience alters their subsequent choice to forego life sustaining therapy.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| DLST Only | No intervention | Surrogates will complete the Stroop test then answer the hypothetical life sustaining therapy (LST) |
| Contemplate only | Experimental | Surrogates will contemplate each of the 3 scenarios but not make any decisions, then complete the Stroop test and answer the hypothetical LST question Receives: Other: Hypothetical scenarios and related decisions |
| Decide with advice | Experimental | Surrogates will make decisions on 4 scenarios with physician advice, then complete the Stroop test and answer the hypothetical LST question. Within this arm, surrogates will receive two positive recommendations (i.e. to go ahead with the intervention) and two negative recommendations (i.e. to decline the intervention). These positive and negative recommendations will be randomly assigned upon study enrollment. With four hypothetical scenarios, there are six possible options for recommendation variations. Receives: Other: Hypothetical scenarios and related decisions |
| Decide without advice | Experimental | Surrogates will make decisions on 4 scenarios without physician advice, then complete the Stroop test and the hypothetical LST question. Receives: Other: Hypothetical scenarios and related decisions |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Stroop Test Score
Measurement of score will be done at the conclusion of instrument completion. The Stroop test is a standard measure of self control that requires three tasks. The last task is the most difficult where the participant must suppress the urge to read the word which is the easier task and instead say the color it is printed in. Standard scoring is the number correct in the Word trial minus the Color-Word trials. This data will be collected immediately following completion.
Measured: Approximately 15 minutes
Secondary outcomes (1)
Evidence of status quo bias
Evidence of status quo bias as assessed by hypothetical decision to limit life sustaining therapy or to continue treatment. To assess for status quo bias, we will use the following technique: after the initial four hypothetical questions and Stroop testing, participants will be asked a hypothetical question about life sustaining therapy (LST). In the question, continuing life sustaining therapy will be counted as maintaining the status quo. This is based on current norms in American health care where life sustaining therapy is continued until a patient or surrogate specifically request otherwise.
Measured: Approximately 10 minutes
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted7 Nov 2012 (estimated)
- Study startNov 2012
- Primary completionApr 2013
- Study completionApr 2013
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (1)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for ChemotherapyStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by University of PennsylvaniaThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Participant
- Enrolment
- 132 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Pennsylvania
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Scott Halpern, University of Pennsylvania
- Investigators
- Scott D. Halpern, MD, PhD, Principal investigator, University of Pennsylvania
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT01723436
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 816697
- Status last verified
- Jan 2015
- First submitted
- 1 Nov 2012
- Last updated
- 29 Jan 2015
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
Publications
Vohs KD, Baumeister RF, Schmeichel BJ, Twenge JM, Nelson NM, Tice DM. Making choices impairs subsequent self-control: a limited-resource account of decision making, self-regulation, and active initiative. J Pers Soc Psychol. 2008 May;94(5):883-98. doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.94.5.883.
PubMed 18444745
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 29 Jan 2015. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Pilot Study of Repeated Decision Making in Surrogates
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT01723436
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 816697
- Conditions
- Chemotherapy
- Keywords
- Decision fatigue
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 132 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University of PennsylvaniaUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- Nov 2012
- Primary completion
- Apr 2013 (actual)
- Study completion
- Apr 2013 (actual)
- First posted
- 7 Nov 2012 (estimated)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Decision making capacity fatigues after repeated decisions similar to skeletal muscle. The result is decision fatigue, in which subsequent decisions are altered toward the status quo. Surrogates are at risk for decision fatigue yet it has not been studied. We propose a randomized study in the outpatient setting in surrogates and patients at high risk for needing to make complex decisions, in an effort to determine the impact of decision fatigue on surrogate self-control and subsequent choices.
Detailed description
Just as skeletal muscle fatigues after repeated use, decision-making capacity fatigues when repeated choices are made. This phenomenon, in which people experience diminished concentration and willpower after repeated decision-making, is termed decision fatigue. People experiencing decision fatigue are more likely to bias subsequent choices toward the status quo. By choosing the status quo, the decision-maker reserves the option to make an alternate choice at a later time, thereby preserving possibilities. Patients and their surrogates often make complex medical decisions for which they may have little experience. Although clearly at high risk, decision fatigue has not been studied in this population. To elucidate these questions, we propose a four-arm study of surrogates and patients in a population at high risk for making complex decisions. Surrogates will be randomly assigned to varied levels of decision making effort to assess for the development of resultant decision fatigue and whether it alters subsequent decisions.
Study design
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (participant)
- Number of arms
- 4
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| DLST Only | No intervention | –Surrogates will complete the Stroop test then answer the hypothetical life sustaining therapy (LST) |
| Contemplate only | Experimental | Other: Hypothetical scenarios and related decisionsSurrogates will contemplate each of the 3 scenarios but not make any decisions, then complete the Stroop test and answer the hypothetical LST question |
| Decide with advice | Experimental | Other: Hypothetical scenarios and related decisionsSurrogates will make decisions on 4 scenarios with physician advice, then complete the Stroop test and answer the hypothetical LST question. Within this arm, surrogates will receive two positive recommendations (i.e. to go ahead with the intervention) and two negative recommendations (i.e. to decline the intervention). These positive and negative recommendations will be randomly assigned upon study enrollment. With four hypothetical scenarios, there are six possible options for recommendation variations. |
| Decide without advice | Experimental | Other: Hypothetical scenarios and related decisionsSurrogates will make decisions on 4 scenarios without physician advice, then complete the Stroop test and the hypothetical LST question. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Patients must have one of the following diagnoses: aplastic anemia, multiple myeloma, myelodysplastic syndrome, acute myeloid leukemia, stage IIIB or IV lung cancer, mesothelioma and/or stage IIIB or IV gastrointestinal cancer (pancreatic, biliary, esophageal, gastric, hepatocellular, colon), stage IV melanoma.
- Patients must have at least one surrogate at their clinic visit who is willing to enroll with them as a pair to be included.
- Surrogates are eligible if an eligible patient identifies them as as a surrogate and both consent for the study.
- All participants must be over the age 18
- All participants must be fluent in English
Key exclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Patients and surrogates will be excluded if they are illiterate or have a medical condition known to alter Stroop performance. These include individuals who are visually impaired such that they cannot read a computer screen, blind or colorblind, patients given sedating medications during their appointment and individuals with past medical history of cerebrovascular accident, transient ischemic attack (TIA), seizure disorder, dementia or traumatic head injury with loss of consciousness.
- Patients will be ineligible if they have either tracheostomy or are currently on hemodialysis as these would significantly alter responses to the mechanical ventilation hypothetical scenario and the hypothetical life sustaining therapy question.
- Surrogates and patients are ineligible if their paired participant is excluded for any of the above reasons.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Hypothetical scenarios and related decisionsSurrogates are exposed to three hypothetical medical scenarios that require varying levels of decision making. We will be assessing how this experience alters their subsequent choice to forego life sustaining therapy. | Other | Contemplate only, Decide with advice, Decide without advice |
Primary outcome
Stroop Test Score
Time frame: Approximately 15 minutes
Measurement of score will be done at the conclusion of instrument completion. The Stroop test is a standard measure of self control that requires three tasks. The last task is the most difficult where the participant must suppress the urge to read the word which is the easier task and instead say the color it is printed in. Standard scoring is the number correct in the Word trial minus the Color-Word trials. This data will be collected immediately following completion.
1 secondary outcome
Evidence of status quo bias
Time frame: Approximately 10 minutes
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 29 Jan 2015.
- Background: PubMed 18444745Vohs KD, Baumeister RF, Schmeichel BJ, Twenge JM, Nelson NM, Tice DM. Making choices impairs subsequent self-control: a limited-resource account of decision making, self-regulation, and active initiative. J Pers Soc Psychol. 2008 May;94(5):883-98. doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.94.5.883.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Scott D. Halpern, MD, PhD principal investigator
University of Pennsylvania
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Hypothetical scenarios and related decisions in people with Chemotherapy, run by University of Pennsylvania at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 5 inclusion and 3 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 29 Jan 2015. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Stroop Test Score (time frame: Approximately 15 minutes). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT01723436, which also lists 1 linked publication.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 29 Jan 2015.