Clinical trial · Interventional
Acceptability and Feasibility of PSC Model of Serious Illness Communication
Pilot Study to Evaluate the Acceptability, Feasibility, and Potential Effectiveness of a Patient Support Coordinator (PSC)-Facilitated Model of Serious Illness Communication
- Source
- ClinicalTrials.gov
- Retrieved
- Sep 8, 2026
- Layer
- normalized (units and labels harmonized; values unchanged)
- Run
- ING-CLINICALTRIALS-20260908-000001
Summary
Brief summary (as posted)
This prospective, single-arm pilot study evaluates the feasibility and acceptability of a novel Patient Support Coordinator (PSC) model for women with advanced or high-risk breast cancer in an outpatient oncology setting. The PSC model is designed to address gaps in serious illness communication by embedding a trained, non-clinical coordinator into routine care pathways to provide longitudinal psychosocial support and facilitate values-based discussions. The primary hypothesis posits that the PSC intervention will be perceived as acceptable by participants, defined by a population median score of ≥12 out of 16 on both the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ-4) and the Feeling Heard and Understood (FHU) scale. Additionally, the study assesses feasibility through metrics such as enrollment and retention rates, as well as the successful integration of PSC-documented patient priorities into clinical workflows. By using a convergent parallel mixed-methods design, the study aims to generate a complete view of how this lay-led model complements existing supportive care infrastructure at the National Cancer Centre Singapore.
Conditions
Conditions (1)
Free-text conditions as registered, with the CancerIndex entity they were reconciled to and the match type.
| Condition (as posted) | Mapped entity | Match | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advanced Breast Cancer | Malignant Breast Neoplasm | CURATED_BROADER | 0.78 |
Interventions
Interventions (1)
| Intervention | Type | Mapped drug | Match |
|---|---|---|---|
| PSC-facilitated supportive listening | Other | — | UNRESOLVED |
Design
Arms and outcomes
Arms (1)
- type
- EXPERIMENTAL
- label
- PSC-facilitated supportive listening
- description
- This is a single-arm study where all participants are assigned to the Patient Support Coordinator (PSC) intervention. Enrolled participants engage in a longitudinal supportive care pathway ("PSC model"/ "PSC intervention") consisting of up to eight one-on-one sessions of supportive listening with the PSC delivered over a three-month period.
- interventionNames
- Other: PSC-facilitated supportive listening
Primary outcomes (1)
- measure
- Intervention acceptability: Feeling Heard and Understood (FHU) Scale
- timeFrame
- Administered post-intervention, within two weeks following the completion of the three-month intervention phase.
- description
- Measurement: Total score on the four-item Feeling Heard and Understood (FHU) survey. Specific definition: A patient-reported outcome measure assessing the perceived quality of the therapeutic alliance. Scores range from 4 to 16, with a total score of ≥12 (equivalent to a mean of 3 out of 4 per item) defined as the threshold for intervention acceptability.
Secondary outcomes (1)
Eligibility
Eligibility (as posted)
- Sex
- Female
- Minimum age
- 21 Years
Show eligibility criteria text
Inclusion Criteria: * Diagnosis of advanced cancer (Stage III or IV) or assessed to be at risk of recurrence by treating oncologist * Aware of cancer diagnosis * Proficiency in English or Mandarin Exclusion Criteria: * Cognitive impairment preventing provision of informed consent * Poorly controlled mental health conditions
References
Publications (1)
- DERIVEDNg A, Yeo SM, Tan WM, Chua B, Erina R, Neo SHS. Acceptability and feasibility of a Patient Support Coordinator (PSC) model to facilitate serious illness communication in outpatient oncology. BMC Palliat Care. 2026 Jun 4;25(1):221. doi: 10.1186/s12904-026-02180-3. PMID 42243766