Digital support to spread team-based schizophrenia care in primary care in India
Official title: Digital Implementation Support to Achieve Uptake and Integration of Task-Shared Care for Schizophrenia in Primary Care in India
Funded at Harvard Medical School · NIH-11580818 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A project to help frontline health workers in India use digital tools to provide coordinated schizophrenia care in primary care, with plans to inform care in the United States as well.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Harvard Medical School NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | May 1, 2024 |
| Project end | March 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $6,912 |
| NIH project number | 3R01MH133230-03S3 |
| Project ID | NIH-11580818 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults 21 years and older with schizophrenia who receive care in primary care settings and can engage with digital health tools.
✕Less likely to help
People not receiving primary care services or unable to participate in digital health interventions may see limited or no direct benefit.
What this research studies
This project will train frontline health workers in India to deliver shared-care for schizophrenia through primary care clinics, using digital tools to support coordination with specialists. It aims to create scalable, community-based care models that integrate psychosocial support with medical management, and to address co-occurring health conditions. The approach leverages India's digital health infrastructure to enable task-sharing, remote guidance, and data-driven care within existing primary care systems. Findings are intended to translate into scalable models that could be implemented in the United States and other settings with unmet psychosocial and medical needs. The study will contribute to evidence on how to deliver integrated schizophrenia care in low-resource environments and inform future care delivery in high-income countries as well.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients with schizophrenia could receive better coordinated, more accessible care that improves recovery, reduces medical complications, and enhances quality of life.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work supports digital, task-shared approaches to schizophrenia care, but scalable models in real-world primary care settings remain an area of active study.
Where this research is happening
-
Harvard Medical School
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Naslund, John a — Harvard Medical School
- Study coordinator: Naslund, John a
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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.