Group telehealth program to help adults with chronic graft-versus-host disease
Official title: Randomized Trial of a Multi-Disciplinary Intervention for Patients with Chronic Grant-Versus-Host Disease
Funded at University of Miami Coral Gables · NIH-11251973 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project compares a team-based group telehealth program called HORIZONS to usual care to help adult stem cell transplant survivors manage chronic graft‑versus‑host disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Miami Coral Gables NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Coral Gables, United States) |
| Project start | January 1, 2025 |
| Project end | December 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $569,630 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA296889-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11251973 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults (21+) who are survivors of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant and are living with chronic graft‑versus‑host disease.
✕Less likely to help
People under 21, individuals without cGVHD, those unable to use telehealth technology, or those needing urgent in‑person medical treatment are unlikely to benefit from participation.
What this research studies
If you are an adult who had an allogeneic stem cell transplant and now live with chronic graft‑versus‑host disease (cGVHD), this study would randomly assign participants to join HORIZONS, a multidisciplinary group telehealth program, or to receive minimally enhanced usual care. HORIZONS brings together medical providers and psychosocial specialists in a group video format to teach symptom self-management, coping skills, and coordinated care planning. The team will track changes in self-management skills, symptom burden, and quality of life over the follow‑up period. Offering the program by telehealth is intended to help people who live far from transplant centers or who have immune vulnerability avoid in‑person visits.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, HORIZONS could help people with cGVHD control symptoms better, improve day‑to‑day functioning, and enhance quality of life.
How similar studies have gone: Very few trials have tested interventions for long‑term cGVHD, though earlier feasibility work on the HORIZONS program showed promise and preliminary benefits.
Where this research is happening
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University of Miami Coral Gables
Coral Gables, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Traeger, Lara — University of Miami Coral Gables
- Study coordinator: Traeger, Lara
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.