Effectiveness of the Mindful Compassion Care Program for Healthcare Professionals in Oncology and Palliative Care
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: MCCP.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Professional Quality of Life, Palliative Care, Oncology. Basic parameters: from 18 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- Italy
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
Unsure about the terms? Read our patient guide →
Official title
Effectiveness of the Mindful Compassion Care Program for Healthcare Professionals in Oncology and Palliative Care: a Randomized Controlled Trial With a Qualitative Component
Overview
This randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the Mindful Compassion Care Program (MCCP), a mindfulness- and compassion-based intervention designed to enhance the emotional and professional well-being of healthcare professionals (HPs). The study adopts a multi-center, open-label, randomized, parallel-group, superiority design and includes HPs (physicians, nurses, and nursing assistants) involved in the clinical care of cancer patients across different settings and disease phases. Eligible participants must not have attended MBSR or other mindfulness-/compassion-based interventions in the preceding six months. The RCT has a primary objective of assessing the MCCP's effectiveness in increasing positive emotions and reducing negative emotions among HPs working in oncology and palliative care. Secondary objectives include evaluating improvements in professional quality of life and self-compassion. After providing informed consent, HPs will be randomized to receive either the MCCP (experimental group) or no intervention (control group).
Detailed description
The study includes an embedded qualitative component designed to explore the acceptability and perceived value of the MCCP from the perspective of healthcare professionals who received the intervention. Qualitative data will be collected through focus groups conducted with a purposive sub-sample of RCT participants. Participation in the focus groups will be voluntary. This purposive sampling strategy is appropriate as it allows the inclusion of individuals capable of providing rich, relevant, and diverse insights into their experiences with the MCCP and its perceived impact.
Interventions
- Behavioral MCCP
The MCCP is a structured seven-week group intervention integrating elements from Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), and Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT). The program consists of six 90-minute weekly sessions plus one intensive 4.5-hour session. Sessions include mindfulness meditation, breathing exercises, yoga practices, imagery techniques, and compassion-focused activities. Daily home practice is supported through guided audio tracks and works
Primary outcome measures
- Change in affectivity (Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, PANAS composite score: Positive - Negative) [Time frame: baseline, 8 weeks]
Secondary outcome measures (2)
- Improvement in Professional Quality of Life [Time frame: baseline, 8 weeks, 6 month]
- Improvement in Self-Compassion [Time frame: baseline, 8 weeks, 6 month]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- Being a healthcare professional (physicians, nurses, or nursing assistants) involved in the clinical management of cancer patients across different care settings and illness phases.
- Age ≥ 18 years
Exclusion criteria
- HPs must not have attended MBSR or other mindfulness/compassion-based interventions, including in educational or clinical settings, involving activities similar to those in the present study in the previous six months.
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: Yes
Study design
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Model
- Parallel assignment
- Masking
- Open label
- Primary purpose
- Other
Study locations
Italy · 1 center
- Azienda USL IRCCS di Reggio Emilia — Reggio Emilia
Publications
- Orellana-Rios CL, Radbruch L, Kern M, Regel YU, Anton A, Sinclair S, Schmidt S. Mindfulness and compassion-oriented practices at work reduce distress and enhance self-care of palliative care teams: a mixed-method evaluation of an "on the job" program. BMC Palliat Care. 2017 Jul 6;17(1):3. doi: 10.1186/s12904-017-0219-7. PMID 28683799
- Watts KJ, O'Connor M, Johnson CE, Breen LJ, Kane RT, Choules K, Doyle C, Buchanan G, Yuen K. Mindfulness-Based Compassion Training for Health Professionals Providing End-of-Life Care: Impact, Feasibility, and Acceptability. J Palliat Med. 2021 Sep;24(9):1364-1374. doi: 10.1089/jpm.2020.0358. Epub 2021 Mar 5. PMID 33666500
- Kamal AH, Bull JH, Wolf SP, Swetz KM, Shanafelt TD, Ast K, Kavalieratos D, Sinclair CT. Prevalence and Predictors of Burnout Among Hospice and Palliative Care Clinicians in the U.S. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2020 May;59(5):e6-e13. doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2019.11.017. Epub 2019 Nov 26. PMID 31778784
- Hlubocky FJ, Taylor LP, Marron JM, Spence RA, McGinnis MM, Brown RF, McFarland DC, Tetzlaff ED, Gallagher CM, Rosenberg AR, Popp B, Dragnev K, Bosserman LD, Dudzinski DM, Smith S, Chatwal M, Patel MI, Markham MJ, Levit K, Bruera E, Epstein RM, Brown M, Back AL, Shanafelt TD, Kamal AH. A Call to Action: Ethics Committee Roundtable Recommendations for Addressing Burnout and Moral Distress in Oncolog PMID 32223701
- Ho AHY, Tan-Ho G, Ngo TA, Ong G, Chong PH, Dignadice D, Potash J. A Novel Mindful-Compassion Art-Based Therapy for Reducing Burnout and Promoting Resilience Among Healthcare Workers: Findings From a Waitlist Randomized Control Trial. Front Psychol. 2021 Oct 21;12:744443. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.744443. eCollection 2021. PMID 34744918
Identifiers
NCT: NCT07248111 · 390/2025/SPER/IRCCS