Journal of pain and symptom management
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Jun 2022
ReviewDesigning Psychosocial Intervention Pilot Studies: A Tutorial for Palliative Care Investigators.
This is a tutorial on designing a persuasive pilot study of a psychosocial intervention (e.g., behavioral symptom management) in the palliative care setting. This tutorial is most relevant for early stages of intervention research that aims to progress toward a randomized controlled trial with a high degree of internal validity. Broadly, a pilot study aims to address multiple elements of feasibility and acceptability so that investigators are well positioned for the next study in their program of research. ⋯ We elaborate on these goals by describing an ongoing pilot study testing the feasibility and acceptability of a psychosocial pain management intervention for patients with advanced cancer. Pilot studies are crucial for building a successful program of research, but they are also limited in terms of their sample size and overall objectives. A persuasive pilot study is one that is limited yet useful rather than limited and trivial.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Jun 2022
The Science of Context: Transforming Serious Illness Care Though In Situ Observation.
There is an expression, often attributed to Einstein, “If I had 60 minutes to save the world, I would spend the first 55 trying to figure out what was wrong with it.” Dr. J. Randall (Randy) Curtis’ approach to improving serious illness care has been so effective for exactly this reason. ⋯ Herein, we highlight Randy’s early work using direct observation and describe the trajectory and impact of his ground-up approach to research. In parallel, we describe the influence of his approach on our own work studying serious illness care in surgery and critical care. Although neither of us has had direct mentorship from Randy, we emulate Randy’s pioneering mentorship model in our work together, demonstrating his far-reaching influence.