Easier recovery after colorectal surgery for patients with limited health literacy
Official title: Adapting Enhanced Recovery Programs (ERPs) through Health Literacy to Eliminate Surgical Disparities
Funded at University of Alabama at Birmingham · NIH-11311845 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will adapt standard recovery plans with visual aids, provider coaching, and staff training to help adults with limited health literacy have smoother recoveries after colorectal surgery.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Alabama at Birmingham NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Birmingham, United States) |
| Project start | May 1, 2023 |
| Project end | April 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $474,611 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA271303-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11311845 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults (21+) scheduled for colorectal surgery who have difficulty understanding medical instructions or have low health literacy are the ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People not having surgery, children, or patients treated outside the participating hospitals are unlikely to benefit from this project.
What this research studies
You would see clearer, picture-based instructions and your care team would be coached to communicate more simply and effectively. The project adapts existing enhanced recovery programs specifically for patients who struggle with medical information and tests those changes in colorectal surgery care. Researchers will work with hospitals to train staff and change processes, then follow patients to see if the adapted program improves following recovery steps and lowers complications. The team builds on earlier pilot work and uses a systematic framework to fit the program to real-world clinical settings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lower complications and shorten recovery times for patients with low health literacy after colorectal surgery.
How similar studies have gone: Earlier work shows enhanced recovery programs can reduce racial disparities and the team's pilot studies support this approach, but applying these adaptations specifically for low health literacy patients is a newer effort.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Birmingham, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Chu, Daniel I — University of Alabama at Birmingham
- Study coordinator: Chu, Daniel I
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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.