Hybrid app plus coaching to help stem cell transplant patients manage symptoms and stay active
Official title: Randomized Controlled Trial of a Hybrid-Delivered Cognitive Behavioral Symptom Management and Activity Coaching Intervention for Stem Cell Transplant Patients
Funded at Duke University · NIH-11187047 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This program uses a brief in-person visit, video coaching, and a smartphone app to help people who had a hematopoietic stem cell transplant manage fatigue, pain, and distress so they can safely increase daily activity.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Duke University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Durham, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $684,033 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA291888-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11187047 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults who recently had a hematopoietic stem cell transplant and are receiving intensive outpatient care, who can use a smartphone or video visits and participate in brief in-person and remote sessions, would be ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People who are too medically unstable to take part in coaching, who do not have access to a smartphone or video visits, or whose limits are not related to activity or symptom burden may not benefit.
What this research studies
You would get one in-person session that teaches cognitive-behavioral coping skills and two occupational-therapy led coaching sessions while you are in outpatient care, then four combined symptom-coping and activity-coaching sessions by video after you go home. A smartphone app and activity monitor (step counting) support the coaching and help track your daily steps and symptoms. The program focuses on practical strategies to manage fatigue, pain, and emotional distress so you can be more active and reduce physical disability. Participants are randomly assigned to this Step Up program or to usual care plus extra attention, so researchers can compare outcomes.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could reduce symptoms like fatigue and pain and help transplant patients walk more and improve physical function after transplant.
How similar studies have gone: A prior pilot (NCI R21) of the Step Up program showed it was feasible, acceptable to patients, and produced promising improvements in symptoms, daily steps, and physical disability, but a larger randomized trial is needed.
Where this research is happening
-
Duke University
Durham, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kelleher, Sarah — Duke University
- Study coordinator: Kelleher, Sarah
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Step Up: A blended coaching program to help stem cell transplant patients be active
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SHIFT: A digital tool to help stem cell transplant survivors feel better sexually and emotionally
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SHIFT: A Digital App for Stem Cell Transplant Survivors
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This study is testing a new app called SHIFT to help people who have had stem cell transplants improve their sexual health and overall well-being, making it easier for them to manage common issues like sexual dysfunction.
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Improving symptom management and physical activity for stem cell transplant patients
This study is testing a new program called Step Up to help people who have had a stem cell transplant feel better and get moving again by combining in-person support and mobile health tools, so they can better manage symptoms like fatigue and pain.
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Cognitive behavioral therapy and trazodone for insomnia phenotypes with high blood pressure
A clinical study tests how CBT-I and the sleep drug trazodone work for adults with insomnia and high blood pressure, focusing on a specific sleep duration pattern.
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.