Effectiveness, Acceptability and Feasibility of a Communication and Care Coordinator (CCC) Model in Facilitating Serious Illness Communication (SIC) and Care in Patients With Cancer
Cancer
What this study involves
The registry says this study is recruiting. Individual locations may have different availability.
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Not applicable
- Age range
- 21 years - Not specified
- Sex eligible
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Participants
- 560 Estimated
These are starting points, not an eligibility decision. The research team must review the full requirements.
About the research
The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate the communication and care coordinator (CCC) model in a national cancer institute and assess the utility of the model in facilitating serious illness communication (SIC) and care for patients with cancer.
The study aims are:
- To assess the effectiveness of the CCC model in improving patient outcomes.
- To assess the effectiveness of the CCC model in increasing rates of SIC and advance care planning (ACP) record documentation.
- To assess the acceptability of the CCC model to patients and clinicians.
- To evaluate the feasibility of implementing a CCC model in oncology care.
Researchers will compare results from the CCC intervention arm and usual care arm, to see if the CCC model can help improve patient outcomes and facilitate SIC between patients and clinicians.
Patient participants will:
- Follow the assignment of their clinician, who will be assigned randomly to either the usual care group or the intervention group.
- Be assigned a CCC and receive 6 CCC sessions over the course of 3 months (if assigned to CCC intervention arm).
- Complete 3 study assessment visits at baseline, Week 6, and 3 months
- Be invited to a one-time interview to share their study experience (optional, if selected and if in CCC intervention arm).
Read the full description
Timely SIC may facilitate earlier preferred plan of care documentation and improve patients' sense of peacefulness, hopefulness, and connectedness with their clinicians. The primary goal of the study is to evaluate the CCC model in a national cancer institute and assess the utility of the model in facilitating SIC and care for patients with cancer through a stepped wedge cluster randomized trial. This approach delivers crucial, empirical insights into how SIC can be efficiently and effectively delivered and potentially allow larger scale implementation and dissemination of the CCC model in Singapore, as an effective model for delivering patient support and facilitating patient-clinician communication in patients with advanced cancer.
Who may be able to participate?
The list below is the sponsor’s full registry wording. It can include conditions, prior treatment, test results and other requirements. A match in search does not mean you qualify.
Inclusion Criteria:
Patient Participants
- Aged 21 and above
- Diagnosed with (a) advanced cancer (stage 3 or 4) or (b) non-advanced cancer, but at high risk of recurrence
- Able to speak English or Chinese, irrespective of race
Clinicians
- Oncologists who are at least of designation of associate consultant and above in NCCS
Exclusion Criteria:
Patient Participants
- Disoriented and thus not able to sign informed consent
- Diagnosed with untreated hearing or visual loss or psychiatric illness
- Active suicidal ideation
Clinicians
- Overseas/not practising in Singapore for a significant amount of time
Treatment, groups and participation
The registry may describe treatments and study duration without a complete visit calendar. Ask the study team for the exact schedule, procedures, risks, costs and alternatives. Keep your usual care plan unless your treating clinician tells you otherwise.
- Assignment
- Random assignment
- Masking
- Single masked
CCC Intervention Arm
Each participant will be assigned a CCC and receive 6 CCC sessions over the course of 3 months.
Other: CCC Intervention
Usual Care Arm
Each participant will continue to be followed by the oncologist and receive usual care but will not receive CCC intervention.
CCC Intervention OTHER
CCC sessions will be on exploring participant's illness journey thus far, their concerns, values and priorities.
What researchers are measuring
Outcome measures describe what is being studied. They are not proof that a treatment works.
Primary measures
Communication Quality
Time frame: Baseline, Week 6 after Baseline, and 3 months Post Enrolment.
Feeling Heard and Understood Survey (FHU) is a validated 4-item scale that has been used in palliative care to measure effectiveness of the SIC conversations and the value of the therapeutic relationship between the care team and the patient. The lowest possible score is 0 and the highest possible score is 16, with a higher score indicating that the care team listens well, respects patient's needs, and provides clear communication.
Quality of Life per FACT-G7
Time frame: Baseline, Week 6 after Baseline, and 3 months Post Enrolment.
Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General-7 Item version (FACT-G7) is a 7-item questionnaire designed to quickly and effectively capture the most relevant issues to cancer. FACT-G7 scores could potentially range from 0-28, with a higher score indicating a better quality of life.
Health Utility
Time frame: Baseline, Week 6 after Baseline, and 3 months Post Enrolment.
EuroQOL Group 5-Dimension (EQ-5D-5L) contains a 5-item descriptive system measuring 5 dimensions: mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/ discomfort, anxiety/ depression; a visual analogue scale (VAS) measuring overall health status. EQ-5D Index Value (Utility Score) ranges from 0 to 1.0 with higher value indicating better health-related quality of life. The VAS ranges from 0 to 100, with higher scores reflecting better self-rated health.
Spiritual Well-Being
Time frame: Baseline, Week 6 after Baseline, and 3 months Post Enrolment.
Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy - Spiritual Well-Being 12 Item Scale (FACIT-Sp-12) is a validated 12-item survey that is commonly used in the palliative care setting. It has 3 subscales (meaning, peace and faith). Scores in each subscale can potentially range from 0-16 and the total scores can range from 0-48. A higher score indicates greater spiritual well-being, better ability to find purpose in life and drawing comfort from spiritual resources.
Healthcare Utilization - Rate of Unplanned Acute Hospital Utilization
Time frame: From Study Enrolment to 3 months Post Enrolment.
The rate of unplanned acute hospital utilization through the emergency department during the study will be collected.
Healthcare utilization - Length of hospital stay
Time frame: From Study Enrolment until Date of Death, up to 3 years.
Data on the length of stay in hospital (bed days) will be collected.
Healthcare utilization - Hospital Bill
Time frame: From Study Enrolment until Date of Death, up to 3 years.
Data on hospital bill size will be collected.
Healthcare utilization - Type of oncological treatment
Time frame: From 3 months prior to study enrolment until 3 months after study enrolment.
Data on the type of oncological treatment used will be collected.
Healthcare utilization - Chemotherapy usage (line)
Time frame: From Study Enrolment until Date of Death, up to 3 years.
Data on the line of chemotherapy (first, second or third or subsequent (fourth and onwards)) will be collected.
Healthcare utilization - Intensive care unit visit
Time frame: From Study Enrolment until Date of Death, up to 3 years.
Data on the number of intensive care unit visits will be collected.
Healthcare utilization - Length of intensive care unit visit
Time frame: From Study Enrolment until Date of Death, up to 3 years.
Data on the length of intensive care unit visits will be collected.
Healthcare utilization - High dependency unit visit
Time frame: From Study Enrolment until Date of Death, up to 3 years.
Data on the number of high dependency unit visits will be collected.
Healthcare utilization - Length of high dependency unit visit
Time frame: From Study Enrolment until Date of Death, up to 3 years.
Data on the length of high dependency unit visits will be collected.
Healthcare utilization - Location of death
Time frame: From Study Enrolment until Date of Death, up to 3 years.
Data on the location of death will be collected.
Secondary measures
Acceptability - Satisfaction
Time frame: 3 months Post Enrolment.
Client satisfaction survey is a 4-item, 4-point scale survey in which patients provide ratings on their satisfaction with the intervention, and their views on its relevance, timeliness, and impact. It has been validated in research studies in the outpatient setting around mental health support. Score can range from 4-16, with a higher score indicating greater client satisfaction.
Feasibility - Approach-to-Enrolment Rates
Time frame: From Commencement of Study Recruitment till the End of Recruitment, up to 24 months.
Approach-to-enrolment rates - where feasibility is defined that at least 60% of those patients approached could be enrolled into the study.
Feasibility - Patient Retention Rate
Time frame: Baseline through Study Completion, estimated as up to 3 years.
Patient retention rate - where feasibility is defined that at least 80% of enrolled patients will be able to participate in the study for the planned study duration (3 months).
Effectiveness - SIC and ACP documentation
Time frame: From Commencement of Study Enrollment through Study Completion, estimated as up to 3 years
The number of SIC and ACP documentation per clinician per enrolled patient during the study duration will be tracked during the intervention period(s) and during the control period(s). Clinical notes will also be read to evaluate if there was relevant documentation by clinician on SIC related issues.
Effectiveness - Time spent
Time frame: From Commencement of Study Enrollment through Study Completion, estimated as up to 3 years
Time spent by CCC in this model and estimated time spent by clinicians on SICs will be collected.
Acceptability - Clinician experience
Time frame: At end of intervention period (28th month).
Clinicians will be surveyed using a modified version of the Clinician Experience Survey (CES). The original CES was developed by Ariadne Labs for the purposes of assessing clinicians perceived feasibility and barriers in engaging patients in SIC. The researchers will modify the CES to form a 4-item scale (score range 4-16), with a higher score indicating greater clinicians' satisfaction with the CCC intervention.
Review the complete result tables and limitations in the official record.
Open official results ↗Research locations (1)
The overall study status and a local site’s status can differ. Confirm that location’s availability before traveling.
1 locations
National Cancer Center, SingaporeSingapore, SingaporeRecruiting
Study team and timeline
- Lead sponsor
- National Cancer Centre, Singapore
- Study start
- Nov 5, 2026 Actual
- Primary completion
- Jun 30, 2028 Estimated
- Study completion
- Jun 30, 2029 Estimated
- First posted
- Jul 29, 2026 Actual
- Last updated
- Nov 10, 2026 Actual
Official study contacts
Official study title
Evaluating the Effectiveness, Acceptability and Feasibility of a Communication and Care Coordinator (CCC) Model in Facilitating Serious Illness Communication (SIC) and Care in Patients With Cancer
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Source: ClinicalTrials.gov API v2. Information is submitted by sponsors and investigators. NLM does not approve the safety or science of all listed studies. Registry disclaimer.
Retrieved: Nov 12, 2026 · Last registry update: Nov 10, 2026