Bringing colorectal cancer screening to rural clinics
Official title: Implementing evidence based colorectal cancer screening in rural clinics
Funded at Indiana University Indianapolis · NIH-11294213 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project tests whether mailing FIT kits plus offering patient navigation helps more people in rural communities complete colorectal cancer screening.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Indiana University Indianapolis NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Indianapolis, United States) |
| Project start | January 1, 2023 |
| Project end | December 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $638,146 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA276659-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11294213 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults served by participating rural clinics who are eligible for colorectal cancer screening but are overdue or not up-to-date (commonly ages 45–75) are the ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People who are already up-to-date with screening, need immediate diagnostic care, or are not patients at a participating rural clinic are unlikely to benefit from this project.
What this research studies
If you get care at a rural clinic, the project will try sending fecal immunochemical test (FIT) kits to your home and offer patient navigation (help by phone or in person) to support completion. Researchers will work with rural clinic staff to bundle facilitation strategies so clinics can deliver the mailed-FIT plus navigation program reliably. They will track who returns kits, who completes follow-up colonoscopies after a positive test, and overall changes in screening rates. The team will use these results to guide how to spread the approach to other rural clinics.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, more people in rural areas could complete screening earlier, leading to earlier detection and fewer deaths from colorectal cancer.
How similar studies have gone: Previous programs using mailed FIT kits plus patient navigation have increased screening rates, but applying and sustaining these strategies in under-resourced rural clinics remains less tested.
Where this research is happening
-
Indiana University Indianapolis
Indianapolis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Champion, Victoria Lee — Indiana University Indianapolis
- Study coordinator: Champion, Victoria Lee
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Improving colorectal cancer screening and follow-up care.
This study is working to help more people get screened for colorectal cancer and receive the follow-up care they need, especially those who haven't been screened much before, so that everyone can have better access to important health checks and improve their overall health.
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Making colorectal cancer screening easier and more likely to happen
This project uses default options, simpler choices, and direct outreach to help average-risk adults who are overdue complete colorectal cancer screening with colonoscopy or stool tests.
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AI/AN Tailoring of a Home-Based Cervical and Colorectal Cancer Screening Program
A tailored, home-based cancer screening program helps AI/AN adults screen for cervical and colorectal cancer from home using self-collection tests and culturally aligned education.
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Bringing colorectal cancer screening to adults 45–54 who haven’t been screened
A grant to help low-income adults aged 45–54 start colorectal cancer screening through the Boston area’s community health centers.
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Increasing follow-up colonoscopies after a positive FIT in community clinics
Aims to help people with abnormal stool tests for colorectal cancer get timely follow-up colonoscopies in safety-net clinics.
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Colorectal cancer screening with real-time imaging that may replace sedated scopes
Researchers are testing a new imaging method called optical coherence tomography (OCT) to spot and treat colon polyps without the need for sedation during a screening colonoscopy.
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.