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Table 3 Primary and secondary outcomes

From: Behavioral economic implementation strategies to improve serious illness communication between clinicians and high-risk patients with cancer: protocol for a cluster randomized pragmatic trial

Primary outcome

Patient population

Description

Ascertainment

SIC documentation

High-risk patients

Measured at patient level as binary outcome, defined by the presence of a documented note within the electronic medical record (EMR) using a standardized SIC template

6-month period following index clinical encounter

Secondary outcomes

Patient population

Description

Ascertainment

SIC documentation

All patients

Measured at patient level as binary outcome, defined as above

6-month period following index clinical encounter

Palliative care referral

High-risk patients

Measured at patient level as binary outcome, defined as encounter with palliative care clinician

Aggressive end-of-life care

High-risk decedents

Measured at patient level as a binary outcome, defined as including any of:

- Chemotherapy within 14 days before death

- Hospitalization within 30 days before death

- Admission to hospice 3 days or less before death