Training family doctors to give palliative care to patients with serious long-term illness
Tests a palliative care program delivered by family doctors to adults with advanced chronic illness.
Plain-language title generated from the registry record
Registry title: Primary Palliative Care - a Feasibility Cluster Trial
Key facts
- Where
- Coimbra, PortugalSee the 2 sites
Where in Portugal
- Family Health Unit 1 - ULS Coimbra (Intervention)Coimbra, PortugalTaking people
- Family Health Unit 2 - ULS Coimbra (Control)Coimbra, PortugalEnrolling by invitation
Questions to ask the study team
- How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
- Are travel costs paid?
- Can I keep my own doctor?
- What happens if I want to stop?
Trial details
- Who runs it
- University of Coimbra
- Trial code
- NCT07737899
- Record updated
- 9 November 2026
- Original description
This feasibility cluster-controlled randomized trial (RCT) evaluates a complex intervention for the delivery of primary palliative care in Family Health Units (FHUs). The intervention consists of training General Practitioners (GPs) in palliative care through a 30 hour e-learning program and implementing a structured consultation model (4 consultations over 12 weeks) for adult patients with advanced chronic illness. One FHU will receive the intervention and one FHU will follow usual care. The primary goal is to assess feasibility metrics (GP adherence, patient recruitment rate, and patient retention rate), which will inform the design of a subsequent full-scale cluster RCT.Read full original descriptionShow less
Primary Palliative Care - a Feasibility Cluster Trial
This feasibility cluster-controlled randomized trial (RCT) evaluates a complex intervention for the delivery of primary palliative care in Family Health Units (FHUs). The intervention consists of training General Practitioners (GPs) in palliative care through a 30 hour e-learning program and implementing a structured consultation model (4 consultations over 12 weeks) for adult patients with advanced chronic illness. One FHU will receive the intervention and one FHU will follow usual care. The primary goal is to assess feasibility metrics (GP adherence, patient recruitment rate, and patient retention rate), which will inform the design of a subsequent full-scale cluster RCT.
Inclusion: Aged 18 years or older; Enrolled as a patient on the list of a recruited General Practitioner in one of the participating Family Health Units; Diagnosed with one or more of the following advanced chronic conditions:; Advanced-stage neoplasm (metastatic/stage IV cancer); Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) - GOLD classification III or IV; Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) - New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional classification III or IV; Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) - stage IV or V.
Exclusion: Disease severity requiring urgent medical intervention (acute crisis/emergency care need at time of recruitment); Refusal to provide informed consent or to participate in the study at any point.