Cure My Disease

Don't miss your cure!

 Log in / Sign up

New tool could help doctors identify patients needing end-of-life care earlier

NCT ID NCT04171830

Disease control Sponsor: Ottawa Hospital Research Institute Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only This study
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jul 20, 2026 · Last updated Jul 21, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This trial tests a computer tool that automatically calculates a patient's risk of dying within a year when they are admitted to the hospital. The goal is to help doctors reliably identify patients who might have unmet palliative care needs, such as severe symptoms or a desire to discuss advance care planning. The study involves over 3,500 patients across 12 hospitals and will measure whether the tool leads to better documentation and care for those nearing the end of life.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
a mortality prediction tool called mHOMR/HOMR-Now! that automatically screens hospital patients for risk of death within a year
What this could lead to
If successful, this tool could help doctors reliably identify patients who need palliative care earlier, improving end-of-life support and quality of life.
What could go wrong
The tool only flags risk; it does not guarantee better care. Hospitals may not adopt it consistently, and patients may not benefit if follow-up assessments are incomplete.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

About 3,536 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Jun 2019

Expected to finish

Mar 2027

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

Children (under 18), adults (18 to 64) and older adults (65 and over)

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * All newly admitted patients to selected medical units in participating sites during the 6-9-month intervention implementation period * \[To be assessed for unmet palliative needs\] the patient must be competent and have the ability to participate in assessments (i.e. answer assessment questions and understand and speak sufficient English to participate). Exclusion Criteria: * N/A for mHOMR/HOMR-Now! intervention * For palliative needs assessments: incapability of completing the ESAS and 4-Item ACP tools, either because of capacity/cognitive impairment or English-language ability.

Get updates

Get notified about this study

Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Implementation science are added.

Our safety recommendation!

By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use

Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Death

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Implementation science Palliative therapy Screening Terminal care

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

  1. The places running it

    13 sites. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    The full official record for this study. This one lists no contact details, but it is the first place any would appear.

    Open the record ↗

  3. A doctor treating you

    A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Cambridge Memorial Hospital

    Cambridge, Ontario, N1R3G2, Canada

  • Headwaters Health Care Centre

    Orangeville, Ontario, L9W4X9, Canada

  • Humber River Hospital

    Toronto, Ontario, M3M0B2, Canada

  • Kingston Health Sciences Centre

    Kingston, Ontario, K7L2V7, Canada

  • London Health Sciences Centre

    London, Ontario, Canada

  • Montfort Hospital

    Ottawa, Ontario, K1K0T2, Canada

  • North York General Hospital

    Toronto, Ontario, M2K1E1, Canada

  • Pembroke Regional Hospital

    Pembroke, Ontario, K8A1G8, Canada

  • Queensway Carleton Hospital

    Ottawa, Ontario, K2H8P4, Canada

  • Saint Michael's Hospital

    Toronto, Ontario, M5B1W8, Canada

  • The Ottawa Hospital

    Ottawa, Ontario, K1H8L6, Canada

  • William Osler Health System

    Brampton, Ontario, L6R37J, Canada

  • Windsor Regional Hospital

    Windsor, Ontario, N8W1L9, Canada

More trials for these conditions

Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.