# Full Project 2: The Intersection of Telehealth and Health Disparities in At-Risk Older Patients with Cancer

> **NIH NIH U54** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · 2024 · $170,494

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ ABSTRACT – PROJECT 2
Telehealth utilization increased rapidly across the US healthcare system in response to the COVID-19
pandemic. As we emerge from the pandemic, telehealth has become a new option for communication between
patients and providers. Cancer care delivery appears well positioned to incorporate telehealth into the standard
workflow of patient care. Furthermore, equitable implementation of telehealth could potentially increase access
to care among vulnerable patients. However, emerging data suggest disparities with telehealth utilization
access among non-White, low income, and non-English speaking individuals. Inequitable implementation of
telehealth could inadvertently create barriers among our most vulnerable patients, which could paradoxically
increase cancer health disparities. Large-scale rigorous research evaluating disparities in telehealth utilization
within the post-COVID-19 cancer care environment is lacking. Furthermore, research has not addressed how
telehealth utilization influences safety and quality of care compared to conventional in-person visits, particularly
among our at-risk populations with higher baseline risks of poor outcomes and adverse events. Finally, a
comprehensive understanding of telehealth disparities requires an understanding of patient perceptions and
provider biases towards telehealth, which represent important unaddressed questions. To fill these critical
knowledge gaps, we propose a comprehensive population-based cohort study among Medicare beneficiaries
with cancer, incorporating linkages to secondary datasets providing data on providers, hospitals, and regional
factors. We will assess the impact of telehealth on vulnerable cancer populations through the following aims: 1)
identify and characterize disparities in telehealth during and after the COVID-19 pandemic; 2) assess the
impact of telehealth on efficacy and safety of cancer delivery among at-risk populations; and 3) define
actionable patient-level barriers and provider biases with telehealth utilization. This proposed study will help
define the national landscape of telehealth among cancer patients, and will provide a framework for the
development of future interventions to optimize telehealth among at-risk patients. This timely project will deliver
actionable information to providers, healthcare systems, and policymakers. Overall, equitable, safe, and
effective telehealth delivery stands to increase access to care and reduce cancer health disparities among our
most vulnerable cancer patients.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10929486
- **Project number:** 5U54CA285115-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO
- **Principal Investigator:** Juan Francisco Javier-DesLoges
- **Activity code:** U54 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $170,494
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-09-15 → 2028-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10929486

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10929486, Full Project 2: The Intersection of Telehealth and Health Disparities in At-Risk Older Patients with Cancer (5U54CA285115-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10929486. Licensed CC0.

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