Objective Spiritual well-being is an important dimension of quality of life (QOL) and is a core component of quality oncology and palliative care. In this analysis, we aimed to describe spiritual well-being outcomes in a National Cancer Institute (NCI)-supported Program Project that tested the effectiveness of an interdisciplinary palliative care intervention in lung cancer patients and their family caregivers (FCGs). Methods Patients undergoing treatments for NSCLC and their FCGs were enrolled in a prospective, quasi-experimental study. Patients and FCGs in the intervention group were presented at interdisciplinary care meetings and received four educational sessions that included one session focused on spiritual well-being. Spiritual well-being for patients was measured using the FACIT-Sp-12, and FCG spiritual well-being was measured using the COH-QOL-FCG spiritual well-being subscale. Multivariate analysis of covariance was undertaken for subscale and item scores at 12 weeks, controlling for baseline, by religious affiliations (yes or no) and group assignment. Results Religiously-affiliated patients reported better scores in the Faith subscale and items on finding strength and comfort in faith and spiritual beliefs compared to non-affiliated patients. Non-affiliated patients had better scores for feeling a sense of harmony within oneself. By group, patients who received the intervention had significantly better scores for the Meaning/Peace subscale. Conclusions Our findings support the multidimensionality of spiritual well-being that includes constructs such as meaning and faith for lung cancer patients and FCGs with or without religious affiliations. Palliative care interventions should include content that targets the spiritual needs of both patients and FCGs.

Patients diagnosed with stage-IV lung cancer are forced to quickly transition from a cancer-free and perhaps healthy life to one of serious illness, uncertainty, and anticipation of a premature death. Health professionals may be too quick to label the patient as being in denial if they hope for healing. Hope may not be lost when reality is accepted. Studies have investigated what it is like to live with awareness of impending death. Using a patient case study this paper discusses the concepts of death awareness, uncertainty, and hope. The aim is to provide a deeper understanding of how these seemingly antithetical emotions can coexist to the benefit of the patient, and to provide clinicians with practical considerations for supporting patients' hope throughout their terminal illness.

Objectives Patients with cancer who are at a transition to Phase I investigational treatments have been identified as an underserved population with regard to palliative care. This disease transition is often accompanied by spiritual and existential concerns. The study objective was to conduct a secondary analysis of data from a larger study testing a palliative care intervention. This paper reports the findings of this secondary focus on the spiritual needs of this population. Methods Patients (n = 479) were accrued to this study prior to initiating a Phase I clinical trial with data collected at baseline, and 4, 12, and 24 week follow‐up. Results Qualitative data revealed that the transition to Phase 1 trial participation is a time of balancing hope for extended life with the reality of advancing disease. Quantitative results demonstrated increased spirituality over time in both religious‐ and non‐religious‐affiliated patients. Conclusions Patients entering Phase I trials have important spiritual needs as they face treatment decisions, advancing disease, and often mortality. Spiritual care should be provided to seriously ill patients as a component of quality care.

Consistent with the recommendations of the Institute of Medicine Report on quality cancer care, attention to symptom management and quality of life concerns of patients with lung cancer should be addressed throughout the disease trajectory. As part of a NCI-funded Program Project grant, this paper reports on the patient and family caregiver education component of a nurse-lead, tailored palliative care intervention for patients with early (I–III, n=130) and late (IV, n=142) stage lung cancer. Patients and family caregivers received 4 separate educational sessions organized around the Quality of Life model domains (physical, psychological, social, and spiritual well-being). Each patient and caregiver was presented at a weekly interdisciplinary case conference which also informed the educational sessions. Based on needs and team suggestions, an individualized palliative care plan was created and a tailored educational intervention was designed based on topics chosen by each participant. The most common topics chosen by patients in each domain were fatigue, worry and fear, social support/isolation, and hope. Family caregivers most commonly chose fatigue, worry and fear, communication, and purpose and meaning in life. The mean time spent in each teaching session ranged from 31 to 44 minutes for patients and 25 to 35 minutes for family caregivers. There is a vital need for interdisciplinary palliative care interventions for patients across all stages and across the disease trajectory. Nurses are vital to integrating palliative care into routine care. Providing a tailored educational intervention is an important aspect of palliative care for patients and family caregivers. This paper focuses on the process of the tailored educational intervention.

134 Background: Palliative care (PC) has shown benefits to inpatient length of stay (LOS), symptom burden reduction, utilization decrease, and time on hospice. It has shown less impact on the rate of hospice referrals. We assessed the impact of an integrated care model on these outcomes. Methods: From Jan-July, 2018, the Department of Supportive Care Medicine collaborated with medical oncology (med onc), nursing and administration to create the Integrated Care Service (ICS). Multi-disciplinary rounds include med onc, supportive care (PC, social work, spiritual care, psychiatry, psychology, hospice liaison), nursing, case management, nutrition, and physical and occupational therapy. The admission criteria include: 1) Later-stage disease; 2) Non-curative intent therapy; 3) High distress burden; and 4) Poor prognosis. The ICS was designed to have geographic co-location, morning PC and med onc rounds, multidisciplinary rounds, and post-acute management. The ICS was compared with other med onc patients (non-ICS) and Mantel-Haenszel Chi-Square statistical significance (p<0.05) was calculated using Epi Info StatCalc. Results: In 6 months, 190 med onc patients (pts) were admitted to ICS versus 537 non-ICS pts. Compared with non-ICS, the ICS pts had a higher Case Mix Index (1.81 vs. 1.56) and metastatic disease incidence (95% vs. 78%, p=0.008). Discharge to hospice was higher from ICS versus non-ICS (23% vs. 7%, p=<0.001), and average time on hospice increased from 9 to 15 days. No chemotherapy was given in the last two weeks of life to any pts on ICS (0 vs. 6 non-ICS pts). Length of stay (LOS) was higher on ICS as compared to non-ICS (8.45 vs. 5.26 days) and readmission rates were similar (12% vs. 13%). Conclusions: For medical oncology pts in a comprehensive cancer center, the ICS, an integrated, multidisciplinary supportive care service, significantly improved discharge rates to hospice, increased LOS on hospice by almost a week, avoided patients receiving chemotherapy, and maintained similar readmission rates. LOS was higher for complex ICS patients as compared to non-ICS. Based on this pilot, the ICS is planning for expansion to include hematology and surgical services.