Timely Interventions to Enable and Reach patients with Heart Failure, and their caregivers, with Palliative Care

This is a randomized controlled trial evaluating the acceptability and effectiveness of a tiered model of palliative care against usual care. The intervention employs regular distress screening (distress thermometer) and if required, further needs assessment with the integrated palliative care outcome scale. Depending on the screening findings, palliative care interventions of varying intensities (education, health coaching, specialist physician review) are delivered. Outcomes include patient quality of life (KCCQ-12), caregiver quality of life (SCQOLS), patient experience (CSQ-4), implementation outcomes (such as fidelity), and healthcare utilization.

Principal Investigator

Dr. Neo Hui Shan Shirlyn, Clinical Assistant Professor, Duke-NUS Medical School; Senior Consultant, Division of Supportive and Palliative Care, National Cancer Centre Singapore

Study Team

National Heart Centre Singapore

• Professor David Sim

National Cancer Centre Singapore

• Dr. Grace Yang

Khoo Teck Puat Hospital

• Dr. Laurence Tan
• Dr. Yap Siew Fei
• Dr. Dinna Soon

Duke-NUS Medical School

• Dr. Elaine Lum
• Dr. Sungwon Yoon
• Dr. Eric Finkelstein
• Dr. Lee Chun Fan

SingHealth HSSR

• Professor Sean Lam

Mentor

• Professor Cheung Yin Bun

Collaborators

• Dr. Nicolas J. Odom
• Professor Marie Bakitas

Publications

• Neo SH, Yu K, Lee CF, Cheung YB. Interventions to enable and reach patients with heart failure and their caregivers with palliative care (tier-hf-pc): a study protocol of a two-armed parallel group open label randomized controlled trial that evaluates the effectiveness of a tiered model of palliative care in tertiary cardiac institutes in Singapore. BMJ Open. 2025 Mar 27;15(3):e100581

Additional Information

• Registered on ClinicalTrials.gov — ID: NCT06244953
• Funded by NMRC Transition Award — Application ID: TA23jul-0017; Project ID: moh-001452-00

Contact Person

Dr. Neo Hui Shan Shirlyn, Clinical Assistant Professor, Duke-NUS Medical School; Senior Consultant, National Cancer Centre Singapore:

Shirlyn.neo.h.s@singhealth.com.sg