Abernethy 2006.

Trial name or title
Methods	Cluster‐RTC; Unit of allocation: General practice; Stratified by: GP‐practice size
Participants	Patients in palliative care and their GP Setting / country: Southern Adelaide Palliative Services / Australia Type of cancer: All patients with advanced life‐limited illness Phase of care: Palliative care Planned sample size: 461
Interventions	(1) General practitioner (GP) educational outreach visiting: Educational sessions for GPs about palliative care pain management. Evidence‐based key messages derived from a structured literature review and focus on knowledge and attitude deficits. Trained educator conducts two 20‐30 minute sessions with GP, within 2 weeks of randomisation and 2‐4 weeks later. Educational sessions take place in GP’s office. (2) Structured patient and caregiver educational outreach visiting: derived from a blend of “patient coaching” and “educational outreach visiting”. Evidence‐based key messages about palliative care pain management were derived from structured literature review. Key messages focus on knowledge and attitude deficits. Trained educator conducts two 30‐40 minute sessions with patient, with or without their caregivers. Educational sessions take place in a place chosen by the patient (e.g. home). (3) Case conferencing: uses the case conferencing model funded through the Enhanced Primary Care Medicare Benefits Schedule (EPC) items in Australia. Minimally included the GP, patient and/or caregiver, and palliative care nurse. Other participants based upon patient’s needs. Organised by the palliative care nurse. Conferences to be conducted within 28 days of randomisation. Patients and caregivers set the agenda for the case conference by identifying functional, physical, or emotional goals and concerns. GP's remuneration for participation ranges from 48‐105 AUSD (35‐79 USD) based on level and time of participation. Control: Standard palliative care: Consultative medical and nursing support to GPs and other clinicians who provide the majority of clinical care for people at the end of life; Other services included social work, inpatient care, community and outpatient visits, home care, nursing home consultations, a bereavement program, volunteers, and complementary care; Nurses may or may not provide some basic education on pain as part of usual clinical encounters; Formal EPC‐based case conferences rarely occur; Mean length of stay in program is 119 days with median 47.
Outcomes	Patient: Symptoms, pain, QoL, daily medication,  side‐effect diaries, satisfaction with care Informal carer: Satisfaction with care, palliative resources available Process: Hospitalisation rates after an intervention at a single time point (case conferencing)
Starting date
Contact information
Notes	Planned follow‐up length: Until death (min. 0.5; max. 32.5 months)