Hospice Foundation of America (HFA) coordinated the research project, underwritten by the John and Wauna Harman Foundation using Common Practice’s Hello game.
Aimed at understanding the advance care planning needs of underserved populations, the project used the end-of-life conversation game, Hello, to support a collaborative research project led by HFA and Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.
The project engaged underserved populations (defined as individuals who face barriers to healthcare due to socio-economic, geographic, linguistic, cultural, or educational circumstances) in substantive, enjoyable and meaningful end-of-life discussions among participants with the goal of them subsequently taking additional advance care planning steps. It will provide a significant contribution to the field by:
- engaging underserved communities in an interactive advance care planning activity through the use of Hello game, and
- yielding information on the value of the activity on advance care planning behaviors in underserved population groups.
Fifty sites were selected across the country to host an event, and fifteen of those sites were selected for research activities.
Research sites hosted a focus group led by researchers following the game activity to assess the game’s effectiveness and participants’ readiness to engage in further advance care planning. HFA collected data from non-research sites and will publish the results from anonymous participant surveys that were administered following the game activity.
Event Host Sites as of 9/5/18
All 50 event hosts received these complimentary materials:
- Hello community event kit including the game,
- event host manual,
- outreach and publicity tools,
- sample media templates,
- online access to all project resources, and
- webinar-based event host training.
All sites hosted events with:
- a minimum of 20 game participants,
- a maximum of 50 game participants, and
- a majority of participants from underserved populations.
Event Host Application Criteria
Applications from organizations interested in becoming were reviewed and considered based on the ability to meet the criteria listed below:
- Guarantee a minimum of 20 and maximum of 50 game participants.
- Guarantee the majority of participants are from underserved populations in your community or service area.
- Host an event by November 30, 2018.
- Provide the event and materials to participants free of charge.
- Use the event host materials provided as part of this project.
- Attend a 2.5-hour event host webinar-based training.
- Participate in post-event data collection by completing an event host evaluation and administer event evaluations to participants that will be completed anonymously at the end of the event.
Research Component
In addition to the event criteria above, fifteen sites were selected to undergo additional IRB screening by Project Talk researchers. This extensive process included an interview with researchers that took approximately four weeks to complete.
Research sites:
- Hosted a focus group with event’s African American population, led by the project’s research team immediately following the event to assess the game’s impact.
- Provided logistical support to the project’s research team as needed during the focus group.
Prior research experience was not required to become a research host site. A Project Talk researcher traveled to research site locations and performed all research and data collection activities.
