Promoting Access, Resources and Treatment Through Novel and Equitable Solutions for Cancer 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: CONNECT platform.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Cancer. 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
- United States
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
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Official title
PARTNERS: Promoting Access, Resources and Treatment Through Novel and Equitable Solutions for Cancer Care
Overview
The purpose of this research is to evaluate a novel, integrated approach to providing navigation services to improve cancer outcomes and quality of life.
Detailed description
In a seminal paper published in 1995, Dr. Harold Freeman proposed that "Patient navigators act as patient advocates for patients with abnormal (Cancer) screening findings."Since that article was published, there has been an extensive literature to support the value of patient navigation services to promote timely and complete receipt of cancer care services for participants newly diagnosed with cancer, as well as along the continuum of cancer treatment, including among underserved populations. Despite this literature, it was not until January 2024 that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) formally recognized patient navigation as a reimbursable service in clinical settings. A key value that is attributed to PN services is the ability of navigational processes to improve equitable cancer caner service deliver for participants, irrespective of a person's social determinants of health (SDOHs) composition, including factors like financial stability, educational attainment, access to health care, race/ethnicity, and/or rurality of residence.
In response to the unmet and significant need to reduce disparities in cancer care delivery, in 2022, the Merck Foundation launched a national effort to select 8 grantees across the United States (US) to develop a national, sustainable model to improve equitable cancer care services which, in turn, should help reduce the long-standing, pervasive disparities observed in cancer outcomes for persons of minority race/ethnic status and/or SDOHs. As part of this Alliance, the Case CCC and CWRU PARTNERS study team will develop and examine elements of patient navigational processes that promote timely receipt of cancer care services, more effective patient-provider-systems-level communication around cancer care, while addressing the SDOH needs of participants and ensuring receipt of services after participant referrals ("closed loops"). This project proposes an intentional focus on engaging persons who represent medically disadvantaged or fragile populations (defined here as Greater Cleveland area residents who are Black/African American, Hispanic, and/or reside in a zip code with "high" area deprivation indices).
Interventions
- Behavioral CONNECT platform
CONNECT platform provides access to participant information across the 5 participant sites to facilitate a more holistic approach to addressing participant needs. It is the use of this cloud-based, HIPAA compliant platform that constitutes the uniqueness of this behavioral intervention.
Primary outcome measures
- Participant improvement as measured by participant distress screening tool [Time frame: 4 months]
- Quality of life as measured by PHQ-9 Patient Depression Questionnaire [Time frame: 4 months]
Secondary outcome measures (2)
- The number of social needs as measured by HRSN(Health related social need) questionnaire [Time frame: 4 months]
- Rate of patient satisfaction as measured by cancer care survey [Time frame: 4 months]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
There are two levels of criteria for inclusion.
- First, investigators will identify individuals who have either had a cancer screening with a suspicious finding (ie. requires diagnostic follow-up) or those individuals who are referred to the UH Seidman Diagnostic Clinic (led by Co-I Hoehn).
- Within that group, investigators will recruit those who identify as African American, Hispanic, or living in a prioritized geography as defined by zip code ADI>=75%ile for state
Exclusion criteria
- Any participant who is not willing or able to complete an informed consent form will not be eligible for this study
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: No
Study design
- Allocation
- N/A
- Model
- Single group
- Masking
- Open label
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
Study locations
United States · 1 center
- Case Comprehensive Cancer Center — Cleveland
Identifiers
NCT: NCT06481774 · CASE4Z24