Spiritual Care Assessment and Intervention Framework in Supporting Patients with Advanced Cancer and Their Caregivers

Inclusion Criteria

• PATIENT: Patient is at least 2 weeks post-diagnosis of an incurable and advanced stage (IV) lung, colorectal, gastrointestinal (GI) neuroendocrine and hepatobiliary, testicular and esophageal solid malignancy and receiving cancer care at Indiana University (IU) Simon Cancer Center.
• PATIENT: Patient is willing and able to consent, has a reliable phone and willing to participate in 4 sessions of 30 (+/- 5) minutes per session.
• PATIENT: Patient has a family member or eligible friend considered to be a caregiver and interested in participating in the study. * We recognize that in certain instances a patient may enroll in the study, with a caregiver in mind who ends up being unable to enroll in the study. If that patient cannot appoint another caregiver we will still continue working with the enrolled patient and that patient will be allowed to finish the intervention and research interviews. Patient has adequate English fluency for completion of data collection (surveys utilized in this study are in English and interventionists, therefore will only utilize the English language for this study.
• PATIENT: Patient must be able to begin the intervention within six weeks of enrollment.
• FAMILY CAREGIVERS: Family caregivers (FCG) has been invited to participate in the trial with a patient who meets eligibility criteria above.
• FAMILY CAREGIVERS: FCG is willing and able to consent and to participate in 4 sessions of 30 (+/- 5) minutes per session.
• FAMILY CAREGIVERS: FCG has adequate English fluency for completion of data collection (surveys utilized this study are in English and interventionists therefore will only utilize the English language for this study).
• FAMILY CAREGIVERS: FCG must be able to begin the intervention within six weeks of enrollment.

Exclusion Criteria

• PATIENT: Patient cannot pass consent verification (“teach back”) or exhibits significant psychiatric or cognitive impairment (e.g., dementia/delirium, retardation, active psychosis) that in the judgement of the investigators would preclude giving informed consent and study participation.
• PATIENT: Currently receiving hospice care (patients who enroll in hospice during the trial will have the option of continuing trial participation).
• PATIENT: Patient cannot begin the intervention within six weeks of study enrollment.
• FAMILY CAREGIVERS: FCG exhibits significant psychiatric or cognitive impairment (e.g., dementia/delirium, retardation, active psychosis) that in the judgment of the investigators would preclude providing informed consent and study participation.
• FAMILY CAREGIVERS: FCG cannot begin the intervention within six weeks of enrollment.