A $3.5 million NIH grant is propelling the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center and partners to develop technology for enhanced at-home cancer care. Led by Tracy Crane, Ph.D., the study integrates an automated voice-response system using wearable data and machine learning. This shift towards home-based care aligns with the evolving landscape of patient treatment. Furthermore, the NIH’s past support has fostered telehealth research centers of excellence, highlighting its commitment to advancing cancer care and healthcare delivery methods.
Spearheaded by a generous $3.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center and its collaborative partners are delving into innovative technologies aimed at aiding cancer patients within the comfort of their homes.
The grant, titled “Managing Symptoms and Psychological Distress During Oral Anti-Cancer Treatment,” bestowed by the NIH, is facilitating the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center’s efforts, alongside other affiliated institutions, to enhance cancer management through novel home-based technology.
Tracy Crane, Ph.D., RDN, Director of Lifestyle Medicine, Prevention, and Digital Health at Sylvester, and one of the primary investigators for the study, highlighted the shift of cancer care from medical facilities to patients’ residences. She emphasized that this transition prompted Sylvester researchers at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine to leverage technology to facilitate this change.
A prime example of this technology is the focus on patients undergoing oral chemotherapy treatments at home instead of the traditional intravenous approach in a hospital setting. The team is concentrating on effectively managing the associated treatment-related challenges using a technology developed at Sylvester.
Crane, along with collaborators Alla Sikorskii, Ph.D. from Michigan State University, and Terry Badger, Ph.D. from the University of Arizona, co-lead the Cancer Control efforts at Sylvester.
Central to the study is a digital intervention component centered around an automated voice-response system. This resource stems from the University of Miami’s proprietary software platform, known as My Wellness Research. Through this platform, researchers can glean insights from wearable device data and employ machine learning to monitor patients’ conditions. Moreover, it integrates a voice-activated system for direct communication with patients via phone calls.
The research team aims to evaluate the outcomes linked to the utilization of this system. Crane explained that the study will assess whether patients offered the intervention experience improved symptom management. Concurrently, they will survey cancer center providers to gauge whether the technology minimizes the need for patient-initiated calls and messages, subsequently reducing the burden on medical staff.
Enrollment for the program is scheduled to commence in the upcoming spring season. During this period, the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP) will manage participant registration from both the United States and Puerto Rico.
Crane expressed her optimism regarding the insights this trial could provide into the capabilities of the system. She highlighted the transformative shift in patient care from hospital-based to home-based settings, particularly emphasizing the potential benefits for patients in remote or underserved areas through the utilization of the automated system.
Notably, this isn’t the NIH’s first foray into bolstering cancer care expansion. In August 2022, NIH funding facilitated the establishment of telehealth research centers of excellence with a focus on cancer care by four organizations.
The expansion of telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic yielded numerous advantages for patients, prompting the NIH to financially support various entities in their pursuit of exploring telehealth’s potential in cancer treatment. Among these organizations were the NYU Grossman School of Medicine and the University of Pennsylvania.
The funding paved the way for the creation of telehealth research centers such as the Telehealth Research and Innovation for Veterans with Cancer (THRIVE) Telehealth Research Center at NYU and the University of Pennsylvania Telehealth Research Center of Excellence (Penn TRACE).
These centers, as Roxanne E. Jensen, Ph.D., a program director in the Outcomes Research Branch in DCCPS, highlighted, are at the forefront of groundbreaking discoveries, tailoring telehealth solutions specifically for cancer care. This initiative is aligned with the ambitious goals of the Cancer Moonshot program, poised to reshape healthcare delivery for cancer patients in the coming years.
In its pursuit of expanding cancer care, the NIH continues to lend support to multiple organizations, as illustrated by these compelling instances.