The study evaluates the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a mindfulness meditation-based intervention designed to provide a synergistic solution to the avoidant coping that often inhibits advance care planning discussions that are crucial to quality end-of-life care.
Inclusion Criteria:
Oncologists:
* Be a physician specializing in medical oncology
* Care for oncology patients at the affiliated cancer center
* Have a patient panel that will allow for ≥6 eligible patients to be enrolled in the study
* Be willing to attend the 5-session MODEL Care program for providers at the specified location, date, and time
Patients:
* Adults ≥ 18 years of age
* Receiving care from a medical oncologist enrolled in the study
* Diagnosed with an incurable and advanced-stage solid malignancy (late stage III \[B or C\] or stage IV)
* Have an attending medical oncologist who would not be surprised if the patient died in the next 12 months
* Willing and able to travel to the class location for 6 weekly 2-hour sessions
* Have a family member or friend eligible and interested in participating in the MODEL Care study
* Able and willing to provide informed consent
* Not have completed a Physician Orders for Scope of Treatment (POST) form
Family Caregivers:
* Adults ≥18 years of age
* Chosen by a family member or friend with cancer to join them in participating in the MODEL Care study
* Willing and able to travel to the class location for 6 weekly 2-hour sessions
* Able and willing to consent.
Exclusion Criteria:
Oncologists:
* Planning to leave current practice setting for other employment in the next 3 months.
Patients:
* Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of \>2 or Karnofsky performance status \<60 (suggesting patient is capable of only limited self-care, confined to bed or chair more than 50% of waking hours, or requires considerable assistance and frequent medical care) as rated by the attending oncologist
* Currently receiving hospice care.
