Early palliative support by trained lay coaches for caregivers of people with advanced cancer
Official title: Lay Coach-led Early Palliative Care for Underserved Advanced Cancer Caregivers
Funded at University of Alabama at Birmingham · NIH-11044561 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This program offers early palliative support from trained lay coaches to help under-resourced family and friend caregivers of people newly diagnosed with advanced cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R37 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Alabama at Birmingham NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Birmingham, United States) |
| Project start | July 10, 2020 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $963,323 |
| NIH project number | 4R37CA252868-06 |
| Project ID | NIH-11044561 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adult (21+) family or friend caregivers of adults newly diagnosed with advanced cancer, especially those from historically under-resourced backgrounds with limited supports.
✕Less likely to help
Caregivers of patients without advanced cancer, paid professional caregivers, or people already receiving comprehensive palliative care supports may be less likely to benefit from this specific program.
What this research studies
If you are a family or friend caring for someone with newly diagnosed advanced cancer, this program gives six structured coaching sessions plus monthly follow-up from diagnosis through early bereavement. Trained lay navigators provide practical help with stress management, coping, caregiving skills, help-seeking, and decision-making. The work builds on the ENABLE Cornerstone model and is being carried out within a randomized trial that also tracks longer-term caregiver distress, quality of life, healthcare use, and bereavement outcomes. The project also looks at how the program can be delivered and used in real-world care settings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could lower caregiver distress, improve caregiver quality of life, support better decision-making, and potentially reduce unnecessary healthcare use for patients near the end of life.
How similar studies have gone: Earlier palliative care programs, including prior ENABLE trials, have shown benefits for patients and caregivers, though lay coach-led early models with extended follow-up for under-resourced groups are less commonly tested.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Birmingham, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Odom, James N. — University of Alabama at Birmingham
- Study coordinator: Odom, James N.
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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.