CancerSCPCNCT06206551
Implementing Spiritual Care in Inpatient Palliative Care
An observational study of Cancer and Heart Failure, run by University Hospital Muenster at 1 site in Germany.
Trial summary
The goal of this observational study is to is to ascertain the spiritual needs of palliative patients in a standardized manner using the Spiritual Needs Questionnaire and to promptly address those needs by (specialized) spiritual care. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Cancer, Heart Failure, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
- What is being tested?
- Spiritual Needs Questionnaire
- How many people
- 100 participants
- Where
- 1 siteGermany
- Study dates
- 1 Dec 2023to 31 Dec 2024
- Phase
- Observational
- 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
Study population: The study population consists of patients assigned to general and specialized Palliative Care due to justifying indications like progressive malign and non-malign diseases that need inpatient treatment provided by either counselling services or on palliative ward.
Who may be able to join
- All individual indication for general and specialised Palliative Care in clinical setting/routine (e.g.):
- Progressive, malign tumours
- Progressive, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- Patients with progressive disease and limited life expectancy (< ca. 12 months)
- Patients attended by Palliative Caregivers in counselling services or on palliative ward
- Life expectancy > 2 weeks
- Sufficient comprehension of German language and writing that allows an autonomous or supported completion of the questionnaire.
- Existence of an independently signed written consent.
Who cannot join
- Severe cognitive impairment
- capacity for consent lacking or impaired
- impaired comprehension of German language and writing that would not allow an autonomous or supported completion of the questionnaire.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
Germany1 site
University Hospital Muenster
Münster, North Rhine-Westphalia, 48149
About this study
The goal of this observational study is to is to ascertain the spiritual needs of palliative patients in a standardized manner using the Spiritual Needs Questionnaire and to promptly address those needs by (specialized) spiritual care.
To determine whether the effort of implementing the Spiritual Needs Questionnaire on a sustainable basis on the one hand brings the expected benefit to the patients and on the other hand can be provided by the pastoral care personnel, at Muenster University Hospital (specialized) spiritual care interventions will be documented in detail and retrospectively and prospectively collected data will be compared.
- Being tested
- Spiritual Needs Questionnaire
- Medical subject headings
- Neoplasms, Heart Failure, Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive, Motor Neuron Disease
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Spiritual Needs QuestionnaireOther
This questionnaire captures the spiritual needs of patients and is used in its short version (screener).This questionnaire is used as part of standard treatment for all palliative care inpatients.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Prospective patients | Patients who are on the palliative care ward or who are being treated by the palliative consultation service at the University Hospital Muenster. Receives: Other: Spiritual Needs Questionnaire | |
| Restrospective patients | Patients who were on the palliative care ward or were treated by the palliative consultation service at University Hospital Muenster during the same period in the previous year. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Feasibility of standardized and evidence-based recordation and implementation of Spiritual Care in Palliative Care
Feasibility of standardized and evidence-based recordation and implementation of Spiritual Care in Palliative Care based on the number of interventions provided by general and/or specialized Spiritual Care for patients with ascertained needs detected by the validated Spiritual Needs Questionnaire in German language.
Measured: 6 months
Secondary outcomes (3)
Recordation of needs for general / specialized spiritual care in palliative care
Recordation of needs for general / specialized spiritual care in palliative care consultation service and palliative ward of a university tertiary care hospital.
Measured: 6 months
Differences in use and outcomes comparing standardised and non-standardised evaluation of spiritual care needs (comparison with retrospective data).
- title
Measured: 6 months
Examination of further descriptive and analysing comparisons of retrospective data and intervention group.
- title
Measured: 6 months
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted16 Jan 2024
- Study start1 Dec 2023
- Primary completion31 May 2024
- Study completion31 Dec 2024
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 CancerStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- 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
- Observational
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Other
- Enrolment
- 100 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University Hospital Muenster
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Philipp Lenz, Prof. Dr. med., Principal investigator, University Hospital Muenster
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06206551
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 2023-465-b-S
- Acronym
- SCPC
- Status last verified
- Nov 2025
- First submitted
- 4 Jan 2024
- Last updated
- 12 Feb 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Publications
Grunthal W, Bernhardt F, Wittenbecher L, Bussing A, Lenz P. Impact of a Standardised Screening on the Assessment and Addressing of Spiritual Needs in Inpatient Palliative Care in Germany: A Mixed-Methods Study. J Relig Health. 2026 Aug 10. doi: 10.1007/s10943-026-02749-5. Online ahead of print.
PubMed 42573666
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 12 Feb 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Implementing Spiritual Care in Inpatient Palliative Care
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06206551
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- SCPC / 2023-465-b-S
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 100 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University Hospital MuensterUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Dec 2023 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 31 May 2024 (actual)
- Study completion
- 31 Dec 2024 (actual)
- First posted
- 16 Jan 2024 (actual)
- 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.
The goal of this observational study is to is to ascertain the spiritual needs of palliative patients in a standardized manner using the Spiritual Needs Questionnaire and to promptly address those needs by (specialized) spiritual care.
To determine whether the effort of implementing the Spiritual Needs Questionnaire on a sustainable basis on the one hand brings the expected benefit to the patients and on the other hand can be provided by the pastoral care personnel, at Muenster University Hospital (specialized) spiritual care interventions will be documented in detail and retrospectively and prospectively collected data will be compared.
Study design
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Other
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Prospective patients | – | Other: Spiritual Needs QuestionnairePatients who are on the palliative care ward or who are being treated by the palliative consultation service at the University Hospital Muenster. |
| Restrospective patients | – | –Patients who were on the palliative care ward or were treated by the palliative consultation service at University Hospital Muenster during the same period in the previous year. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
- Study population
- The study population consists of patients assigned to general and specialized Palliative Care due to justifying indications like progressive malign and non-malign diseases that need inpatient treatment provided by either counselling services or on palliative ward.
Key inclusion criteria (8 listed)
- All individual indication for general and specialised Palliative Care in clinical setting/routine (e.g.):
- Patients attended by Palliative Caregivers in counselling services or on palliative ward
- Life expectancy > 2 weeks
- Sufficient comprehension of German language and writing that allows an autonomous or supported completion of the questionnaire.
- Existence of an independently signed written consent.
Key exclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Severe cognitive impairment
- capacity for consent lacking or impaired
- impaired comprehension of German language and writing that would not allow an autonomous or supported completion of the questionnaire.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Spiritual Needs QuestionnaireThis questionnaire captures the spiritual needs of patients and is used in its short version (screener).This questionnaire is used as part of standard treatment for all palliative care inpatients. | Other | Prospective patients |
Primary outcome
Feasibility of standardized and evidence-based recordation and implementation of Spiritual Care in Palliative Care
Time frame: 6 months
Feasibility of standardized and evidence-based recordation and implementation of Spiritual Care in Palliative Care based on the number of interventions provided by general and/or specialized Spiritual Care for patients with ascertained needs detected by the validated Spiritual Needs Questionnaire in German language.
3 secondary outcomes
Recordation of needs for general / specialized spiritual care in palliative care
Time frame: 6 months
Differences in use and outcomes comparing standardised and non-standardised evaluation of spiritual care needs (comparison with retrospective data).
Time frame: 6 months
Examination of further descriptive and analysing comparisons of retrospective data and intervention group.
Time frame: 6 months
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 12 Feb 2026.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 42573666Grunthal W, Bernhardt F, Wittenbecher L, Bussing A, Lenz P. Impact of a Standardised Screening on the Assessment and Addressing of Spiritual Needs in Inpatient Palliative Care in Germany: A Mixed-Methods Study. J Relig Health. 2026 Aug 10. doi: 10.1007/s10943-026-02749-5. Online ahead of print.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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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.
Philipp Lenz, Prof. Dr. med. principal investigator
University Hospital Muenster
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Cancer and Heart Failure, run by University Hospital Muenster at 1 site in Germany.
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 8 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 12 Feb 2026. 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 Germany. 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?
Feasibility of standardized and evidence-based recordation and implementation of Spiritual Care in Palliative Care (time frame: 6 months). 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 NCT06206551, 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 12 Feb 2026.