The University of Pittsburgh has been awarded a $669,324 Project Grant from the National Cancer Institute (CFDA 93.393 - Cancer Cause and Prevention Research) to conduct a hybrid type I cluster randomized effectiveness-implementation trial of the CARES intervention. CARES is an integrated electronic health record-based screening and stepped collaborative care program aimed at improving health-related quality of life outcomes for cancer patients experiencing depression, pain, and fatigue - the three most common and distressing cancer-related symptoms.
The study objectives are to: 1) Evaluate the effectiveness of CARES for improving patient-centered outcomes in a cluster randomized trial; 2) Conduct an implementation evaluation of CARES guided by the RE-AIM framework; and 3) Examine the net costs and cost-effectiveness of CARES. The project will take place over 5 years, beginning in December 2024, at the University of Pittsburgh's Hillman Cancer Center, which provides care for over 100,000 cancer patients annually. The findings from this study have the potential to shift the national standard of care for screening and treating cancer-related symptoms, leading to improved quality of life for those diagnosed with cancer.