Remote COVID-19 Symptom Tracking and Improved Cancer Symptom Control for Cancer Patients at Home During the Pandemic

NIH RePORTER · NIH · R01 · $152,500 · view on reporter.nih.gov ↗

Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, there is an opportunity to rapidly flex platforms for remote cancer symptom tracking and management to incorporate COVID-19 symptom monitoring and reinforce risk-reducing precautions. It is critical for cancer patients at home to monitor early indications of COVID-19 symptoms, to adhere to mitigation strategies, as well as to manage their cancer-related symptoms so that they can decrease the need to utilize the emergency department or unplanned hospitalizations for symptom care, which is a common occurrence during cancer care. Remote monitoring adds a layer of home-based support which can benefit all cancer patients and is not restricted to geographic proximity to oncology providers or distance from a cancer center. Our Symptom Care at Home (SCH) system, utilized for our currently funded R01CA206522 project to monitor and manage patient-reported (PRO) cancer symptoms, includes these necessary elements: remote PRO symptom monitoring, patient self-management information, and oncology provider (nurse practitioner) notification of symptoms exceeding pre-set thresholds. We propose adding two aims to R01CA206522 in response to PA-18-935 Urgent Competitive Revision to an Existing NIH Grant. The overall purpose of this supplement is to describe the impacts of COVID-19 on cancer patients’ well-being at home and evaluate, through a randomized clinical trial, if a systematic patient-reported outcomes (PRO) reporting process improves cancer care during a pandemic as compared to usual care. Specific Aims include: 1) describe patient-reported COVID-19 and cancer symptom trajectories over time, COVID-19 social distancing and hygiene practices, and COVID-19 related cancer treatment and daily living impacts on cancer patients receiving the SCH-COVID intervention and 2) compare the SCH-COVID intervention to enhanced usual care on health care utilization, COVID-19 diagnosis and outcomes, cancer treatment delays or changes, and patient-reported global health, anxiety, mood, and feelings of social isolation.

Key facts

NIH application ID
10149547
Project number
3R01CA206522-05S1
Recipient
UTAH STATE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM--UNIVERSITY OF UTAH
Principal Investigator
KATHLEEN H MOONEY
Activity code
R01
Funding institute
NIH
Fiscal year
2020
Award amount
$152,500
Award type
3
Project period
2020-05-01 → 2022-09-30