Digital platform that links adults with cancer to community services
Official title: ConnectedNest: a digital platform connecting individuals with cancer to social care
Funded at Xanthoshealth, INC. · NIH-11195638 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A digital tool for adults with cancer that connects them to community services through clinics to help make care easier and improve quality of life.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Xanthoshealth, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Saint Paul, United States) |
| Project start | September 20, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $925,504 |
| NIH project number | 5R42CA295106-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11195638 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults receiving cancer care at participating oncology clinics who face non-medical barriers like transportation, housing, or caregiving needs would be ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People without reliable internet or a way to work with clinic staff and community partners, those outside participating clinic locations, or patients whose needs are solely medical may not benefit.
What this research studies
If I join, the platform would let my care team, community health workers, or caregivers send referrals to local social services and track whether I get the help I need. The project will build easy-to-use screens for coordinators and a portal for community organizations to manage programs and referrals. Researchers will run a randomized trial with 300 adults at several oncology clinics to compare usual care versus using ConnectedNest and will collect surveys and health-use data. They will look at whether the tool improves connections to services, quality of life, emergency department visits, and patient engagement.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the platform could help patients get non-medical supports more quickly, improving quality of life and reducing unmet social needs during cancer care.
How similar studies have gone: Similar referral and navigation programs have shown promise in pilots and small studies, and this project builds on a prior SBIR Phase I and a multi-CBO pilot but uses a larger randomized trial to test impact.
Where this research is happening
-
Xanthoshealth, INC.
Saint Paul, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Haynes, David a — Xanthoshealth, INC.
- Study coordinator: Haynes, David a
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.