Dignity Therapy Led by Nurses or Chaplains for Elderly Cancer Palliative Care Outpatients: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

Sheri Kittelson   ¹ , MD ;   Lisa Scarton   ² , RN, PhD ;   Paige Barker   ¹ , MD ;   Joshua Hauser   ³ , MD ;   Sean O'Mahony   ⁴ , MD, MS ;   Michael Rabow   ⁵ , MD ;   Marvin Delgado Guay   ⁶ , MD ;   Tammie E Quest   ⁷ , MD ;   Linda Emanuel   ⁷ , MD, PhD ;   George Fitchett   ⁸ , PhD ;   George Handzo   ⁹ , BCC, CSSBB ;   Yingewi Yao   ² , PhD ;   Harvey Max Chochinov   ¹⁰ , OC, OM, MD, PhD, FRCPC, FRSC ;   Diana Wilkie   ² , RN, PhD

¹ Center for Palliative Care Research and Education, Department of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States

² Center for Palliative Care Research and Education, College of Nursing, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States

³ Buehler Center on Aging, Heatlh and Society, Section Chief, Palliative Care, Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States

⁴ Palliative Medicine, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, United States

⁵ Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, Center for Educaiton in Palliative Care, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States

⁶ The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Department of Palliative, Rehabilitation, and Integrative Medicine, University of Texas, MD Anderson, Houson, TX, United States

⁷ Buehler Center on Aging, Heatlh and Society, Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States

⁸ Professor and Director of Research, Department of Religion, Health and Human Values, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, United States

⁹ Health Services Research & Quality, HealthCare Chaplaincy Network, Caring for the Human Spirit TM, New York, NY, United States

¹⁰ Research Institute of Oncology and Hematology, Cancer Care Manitoba, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada