# Administrative Supplement to Culturally Competent Communication Intervention to Improve Latinos' Engagement in Advance Care Planning K07 Award

> **NIH NIH K07** · WEILL MEDICAL COLL OF CORNELL UNIV · 2020 · $54,000

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Compared to whites, Latinos are much less likely to engage in various forms of advance care planning (ACP),
including completing advance directives and having end-of-life (EOL) discussions. ACP is critical to provision
of quality EOL care, as it has been associated with greater likelihood of patients' EOL wishes being followed.
Latino advanced cancer patients are also significantly more likely than their white counterparts to receive futile
and burdensome aggressive care at the end-of-life, to die in the ICU, and to have care that runs counter to
their preferences and values. Dr. Shen's pilot work, along with the current literature, suggests that targeting
ACP may help improve Latinos' EOL care. As such, the proposed project will develop and pilot-test a culturally
competent communication (CCC) intervention. First, the CCC intervention will be developed based on results
from a questionnaire embedded into a current R01 (MPIs: Prigerson, Maciejewski) assessing Latinos' cultural,
familial, and religious beliefs as well as their knowledge, motivation (readiness), and action to engage in ACP
(n=200). Next, the developed CCC intervention will be vetted among Latino stakeholders and field-tested
among Latino advanced cancer patients, using an iterative approach (n=40) to guide the finalization of the
intervention. Finally, a pilot randomized trial will examine the feasibility, acceptability, and potential efficacy of
the CCC intervention at improving engagement in ACP. Participants (n=50) will be randomly assigned to the
intervention (n=25) or attention control group (n=25). Results will provide timely insight into a potentially
effective, low burden intervention designed to improve Latinos' engagement in ACP. Dr. Shen is the ideal
candidate to spearhead this line of research given her academic background in social psychology and
communication research. Dr. Shen's long-term career goal is to lead a program of social scientific research
that develops social psychological interventions designed to improve EOL communication and care, with
expertise in interventions targeting racial/ethnic minorities. To achieve this goal, as part of her K07, Dr. Shen
will receive intensive training in five key areas: (1) EOL care research; (2) clinical intervention development; (3)
technology-based health interventions; (4) health disparities, and (5) professional development. The K07 will
provide Dr. Shen with several avenues to achieve her training and research goals and enhance her expertise.
Dr. Shen will have ongoing meetings with mentors and expert advisors and participate in formal coursework,
didactics, workshops, conferences, interactive trainings, and guided research experience. The proposed K07
will form the foundation for a program of research that focuses on developing social psychological interventions
to improve EOL communication and care. At the end of the K07 funding period, Dr. Shen will submit an R01
application, based on the results of t...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10128085
- **Project number:** 3K07CA207580-04S1
- **Recipient organization:** WEILL MEDICAL COLL OF CORNELL UNIV
- **Principal Investigator:** Megan Johnson Shen
- **Activity code:** K07 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $54,000
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2017-07-01 → 2022-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10128085

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10128085, Administrative Supplement to Culturally Competent Communication Intervention to Improve Latinos' Engagement in Advance Care Planning K07 Award (3K07CA207580-04S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10128085. Licensed CC0.

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