UTHealth Houston researchers are partnering with eight Texas main care neighborhood well being facilities on an intervention examine in search of to enhance outcomes for most cancers survivors and improve main care capability.
Funded with a $4.8 million grant from the Nationwide Most cancers Institute, the Undertaking CASCADE initiative will give attention to under- and uninsured sufferers.
CASCADE stands for Group and Educational Synergy for Most cancers Survivorship Care Supply Enhancement.
The intervention will search to assist neighborhood well being middle clinics enhance identification and monitoring of most cancers survivors by modifying present clinic workflows and coordinating survivors’ care via a chosen care coordinator champion. It is going to additionally use Undertaking ECHO – a telementoring technique to reinforce main care clinicians’ data about most cancers survivorship care, recognition and administration of the consequences of most cancers and its therapies, and communication between oncologists and first care workforce.
Researchers count on this intervention to extend charges of guideline-recommended screenings for secondary cancers, main care clinician data of most cancers survivorship care, and patient-reported expertise of care coordination. Researchers may even measure adherence to the Nationwide Complete Most cancers Community surveillance tips for survivors with probably the most prevalent most cancers sorts, resembling breast, colorectal, prostate, and lung.
“Undertaking CASCADE focuses on how main well being care groups present whole-person and coordinated care to underserved sufferers who’ve a historical past of most cancers,” mentioned Bijal Balasubramanian, M.B.B.S., Ph.D., professor of epidemiology at UTHealth Houston College of Public Well being, in a press release.
“Major care is uniquely suited to ship whole-person and coordinated look after most cancers survivors as a result of, at its core, it prioritizes, personalizes, and integrates well being look after all situations, not simply the most cancers,” added Balasubramanian, Rockwell Distinguished Chair in Society and Well being, and a principal investigator of the examine.
Balasubramanian, who can be co-director of the UTHealth Houston Institute for Implementation Science and regional dean of the College of Public Well being in Dallas, mentioned 70% of most cancers survivors produce other continual situations and obtain care from a number of medical groups, which might create gaps within the coordination of care. Most cancers survivors are additionally at greater danger for growing different cancers and continual situations. This, coupled with a rising variety of most cancers survivors and an anticipated scarcity of oncology subspecialists, makes the examine much more well timed and important.
Undertaking CASCADE is one in all 4 Nationwide Most cancers Institute-funded U01 grants awarded in response to a particular request for functions centered on addressing the first care wants of most cancers survivors.
Simon Lee, Ph.D., M.P.H., chair and Sosland Household Professor in Preventive Medication on the College of Kansas, is a co-principal investigator. Roxana Cruz, M.D., chief innovation officer for the Texas Affiliation of Group Well being Facilities, can be an advisor for the examine.