Introducing Palliative Care (PC) Within the Treatment of End Stage Liver Disease (ESLD)

This is a two armed comparative effectiveness cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT), to assess the effectiveness of two pragmatic PC models for patients with ESLD (Consultative PC vs. Trained hepatologist led PC). To prevent bias at the level of providers, randomization will take place at the level of clinical centers; however patients will be the unit of inference. There is no standard of care arm. Embedded within this cluster-RCT is a qualitative study will be undertaken to evaluate the patient/caregiver experiences in the two PC models, using semi structured interviews. To execute this project, we have identified 19 clinical centers to participate; 8 Veterans Health Administration (VHA) systems and 11 non-VHA, Academic Medical Centers. Comparative Approaches: 1. Consultative PC led approach (Model 1): The PC model will include: 1) routine PC consults, using a standardized checklist , 2) in-person or telehealth visits at initial, 1, 2 and 3 months. . 2. Trained hepatologist led PC (Model 2): The Hepatologist Led PC model will comprise: 1) Hepatologist training (through E Learning modules), and 2) in person or telehealth visits utilizing the same PC checklist as utilized in Model 1. The study visits will occur at initial, 1, 2 and 3 months i.e. similar to Model 1 and follow the same visit specified agenda. Study visits in both models could occur in-person or telehealth based, especially during in-person visit restrictions due to COVID pandemic. Adult patients with end stage liver disease and their caregivers 18 years of age or older will be enrolled. Primary Outcome: The change in quality of life from baseline to 3 months post enrollment as assessed by FACT-Hep (Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy- Hepatobiliary). Primary Hypothesis: Compared to consultative PC, the trained hepatologist-led PC for ESLD patients will show superior primary outcome. In the event of nonsignificant superiority, the trained hepatologist-led PC led will show non-inferiority (NI) by ruling out a 4-point reduction (NI margin) in mean of the primary outcome as compared to the consultative PC. Power: The study has 83.2% power to detect clinically important difference (MCID) of 9 points in mean of the primary outcome between the two randomized arms. We have 79.2% power for the noninferiority hypothesis, under assumption that the trained hepatologist-led PC arm performs better than the consultative PC arm by half of the above MCID.