Bringing precision cancer testing to community and rural clinics
TEAMSPORT to Community TEAMSPORT: Validating and Adapting a Precision Oncology Reflex Testing Team Intervention to Reduce Geographic Variation in Cancer Care Delivery
This project adapts a team-based reflex testing system so community and rural cancer clinics can more reliably offer molecular tests that help match patients to FDA-approved targeted cancer drugs.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Wisconsin-Madison NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Madison, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11338007 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a patient perspective, the team will take an existing TEAMSPORT program—a coordinated, team-based approach that automatically triggers tumor molecular testing—and adapt it so it fits community and rural oncology settings. They will work with a Community Advisory Board made up of pathologists, oncologists, administrators, and network leaders representing about 1,000 community programs to shape the approach. The project uses implementation and team-science methods to pilot the adapted system across community sites, measure how often eligible patients receive appropriate testing, and refine the intervention to reduce geographic differences in care. The goal is to make sure more patients treated outside major academic centers get timely testing and access to targeted therapies when appropriate.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Patients with advanced or metastatic cancers who receive care at participating community or rural oncology programs and whose tumors might be eligible for targeted therapies are ideal candidates.
Not a fit: Patients whose cancers lack known targetable alterations or who are treated outside participating community programs may not see direct benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could increase equitable access to molecular testing and FDA-approved targeted cancer treatments for patients treated in community and rural settings.
How similar studies have performed: Similar team-based reflex testing efforts have shown promise in academic centers, but adapting and validating them broadly for community and rural programs is a newer effort.
Where this research is happening
Madison, United States
- University of Wisconsin-Madison — Madison, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ellis, Shellie Dawn — University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Study coordinator: Ellis, Shellie Dawn
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 below.