Project Talk Trial: Engaging Underserved Communities in End-of-life Conversations

Launched by MILTON S. HERSHEY MEDICAL CENTER · Oct 27, 2020

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

The Project Talk Trial is a research study designed to help people from underserved communities have important conversations about end-of-life care. Many individuals in these communities struggle to receive the quality care they deserve at the end of their lives, often due to a lack of discussions about their preferences and wishes, known as advance care planning. This study aims to use trusted community networks to introduce two conversation tools that encourage people to talk about their end-of-life wishes and to document them in advance directives, which are official documents outlining their preferences for medical care.

To participate in the study, individuals must be over 18 years old, come from underserved communities, and be able to speak and read English or Spanish. It's important that they haven't completed an advance directive in the past five years. Participants can expect to engage in community events that focus on these discussions, helping to ensure they receive the high-quality care they want and deserve. The study is currently recruiting participants, and it offers a chance to make a meaningful difference in how end-of-life care is approached in their communities.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• • Inclusion Criteria Community Hosts
• • 1. Ability to recruit 20 individuals from underserved populations to attend a community event
• • 2. Experience hosting a community event
• • 3. Experience working with underserved populations
• • 4. Participation in a series of mandatory live study-related web-based trainings
• • 5. Completes a research site agreement
• • Research Participants
• • 1. Adults over the age of 18 years old in underserved populations
• • 2. Able to speak and read English and/or Spanish
• • 3. Have not completed an AD within the previous 5 years
• • 4. All participants regardless of health status
• • 5. Individuals from the same household can enroll
• • Exclusion Criteria Community Hosts
• • 1. Inability to recruit 20 individuals from underserved populations
• • 2. Inexperience for hosting a community event
• • 3. Inexperience working with underserved populations
• • 4. Unable to attend a series of mandatory live study-related web-based trainings
• • 5. Do not provide informed consent
• • 6. Do not complete a research site agreement
• • 7. Previously hosted a Hello project event
• • Research Participants
• • 1. Anyone \<18 years of age
• • 2. Anyone not able to speak and read English and/or Spanish
• • 3. Have significant difficulties with hearing or speaking difficulties by self-report
• • 4. Completed an AD in the past 5 years
• • 5. Do not provide informed consent