Can a 30-hour e-learning course equip family doctors to deliver better palliative care?
NCT ID NCT07737899
First seen Jul 30, 2026 · Last updated Aug 04, 2026 · Updated 3 times
Summary
This trial explores whether a training program for general practitioners can improve how primary care clinics deliver palliative care to adults with advanced cancer, COPD, heart failure, or kidney disease. One family health unit will use the new approach—a 30-hour e-learning course plus a structured four-visit consultation model—while another continues usual care. The study focuses on whether doctors and patients can successfully follow the program, setting the stage for a larger trial.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- a two-component complex intervention: a 30-hour e-learning training program for general practitioners plus a structured consultation model (4 consultations over 12 weeks)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could pave the way for a larger trial testing whether GP training improves palliative care for people with advanced chronic diseases.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small feasibility study with only two family health units, so results may not apply broadly. The intervention requires significant GP time and commitment, which could limit real-world uptake.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for ADVANCED CANCER are added.
By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use
Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Family Health Unit 1 - ULS Coimbra (Intervention)
Coimbra, Portugal
-
Family Health Unit 2 - ULS Coimbra (Control)
Coimbra, Portugal
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Training healthcare teams to see the whole person behind the illness
- A lifeline for cancer caregivers: can simple phone support reduce their stress?
- New inhaled compound aims to ease COPD breathing woes
- Ultrasound might reveal hidden lung damage in COPD
- A digital lifeline: could Real-Time symptom tracking transform care for kids with advanced cancer?
- Putting Patients' priorities first: a new approach to ease the burden of multiple chronic illnesses