Algorithm-Enabled Patient Engagement to Clarify Goals of Care for Veterans with Advanced Cancer
Official title: Algorithm-Enabled Engagement of Patients with Advanced Cancer (A-EPAC) to improve goals of care communication among Veterans with Advanced Stages of Cancer
Funded at Veterans Admin Palo Alto Health Care Sys · NIH-11241948 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A VA study will use an algorithm to flag veterans with advanced cancer and connect them with trained lay health workers to discuss goals of care with their oncology team.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Veterans Admin Palo Alto Health Care Sys NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Palo Alto, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2026 |
| Project end | June 30, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 1I01RD000421-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11241948 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Veterans with advanced cancer enrolled in VA care who would benefit from enhanced goals-of-care discussions.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are not undergoing goals-of-care conversations or who do not engage with the lay health worker program may not experience direct benefit.
What this research studies
This project builds on a 6-month telephone-based program where lay health workers help veterans with advanced cancer talk about prognosis and care preferences with their doctors. The new approach uses the CAN score to automatically identify patients who could benefit from these conversations and connects them to the engagement team. The goal is to make goals-of-care discussions happen earlier and more consistently, aligning care with what matters most to patients. If successful, the program could scale to improve communication across VA clinics and reduce unwanted aggressive care at end of life.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Improved alignment of care with patient goals and better-informed treatment decisions for veterans with advanced cancer.
How similar studies have gone: Previous EPAC interventions showed promise in promoting GoC conversations, and algorithm-guided targeting aims to expand reach.
Where this research is happening
-
Veterans Admin Palo Alto Health Care Sys
Palo Alto, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Patel, Manali I — Veterans Admin Palo Alto Health Care Sys
- Study coordinator: Patel, Manali I
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.