Increasing Adoption of a Telehealth-Delivered Collaborative Care Program for Patients With Lung Cancer: A Pilot Study

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating two different outreach methods, high touch versus standard outreach, to improve the use of a telehealth collaborative care program for patients with lung cancer who are experiencing depression and/or anxiety. This pilot study focuses on comparing how these outreach strategies affect patient engagement with the care program and aims to understand their impact on several related health and treatment outcomes. The study is led by the Abramson Cancer Center at Penn Medicine and explores the delivery of this care model via telehealth. Participants are randomly assigned to one of two groups. Those in the high touch outreach group receive multiple personalized contacts including gain-framed messages via text, email, portal messages, postal mail with a digital screener link, an informational flyer, and direct requests from their oncology providers if they do not respond. The standard outreach group receives a typical message similar to current practice through text, portal messages, email, or mail. The collaborative care program is adapted to be delivered remotely through telehealth. During the study, participants complete an intake assessment within 30 days after assignment and may attend oncology-based collaborative care appointments over the following months. Researchers measure the number of patients completing the intake and follow-up visits, track treatment retention up to 6 months, and assess changes in depression, anxiety, and fatigue symptoms using validated questionnaires. The study involves regular monitoring of symptom changes and treatment engagement to evaluate the effectiveness of the outreach strategies over time.

Telehealth Collaborative Care Model (CoCM) in Lung Cancer