A feasibility pilot open label, single-arm observational case series of 10 patients with metastatic gastrointestinal and lung cancer patients and 10 care partners. Participants will complete two study visits, separated by approximately 8-16 weeks of usual oncologic care with early integrated specialty palliative care. The palliative care physician will also be a study participant.~Primary Objective: To develop and refine study procedures which can be used in future research in order to further understanding of the mechanisms of action of specialty palliative. Expected products: manual of operating procedures and web-based data collection forms.~Secondary Objectives: To test the feasibility of conducting a mechanism-focused clinical trial of primary palliative care vs. specialty palliative care for advanced cancer patients and their care partners. Expected products: preliminary data demonstrating the feasibility of study procedures sufficient to prove this study design is possible.
This feasibility pilot study is designed to learn whether patients and their care partners (e.g., family members) are willing and able to complete two study visits at Dartmouth College while receiving cancer care at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center.