Improving early palliative care for cancer patients
Implementing Palliative Care: Learning Collaborative vs. Technical Assistance
This study is looking at how to better include early palliative care for people with advanced cancer by using online teamwork among different health systems, aiming to improve the quality of life for patients, especially those who might not usually get this kind of support.
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 ID | NIH-10798315 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This research investigates how to effectively integrate early palliative care into standard oncology treatment for patients with metastatic cancer or high symptom burden. It focuses on using Virtual Learning Collaboratives (VLCs) to bring together multiple health systems to share best practices and implement an evidence-based palliative care model called ENABLE. By fostering collaboration and problem-solving among healthcare providers, the goal is to enhance the quality of life for patients who may not have regular access to these services, particularly in underserved populations. The study will evaluate the effectiveness of this approach in improving patient care.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates for this research are patients diagnosed with metastatic cancer or those experiencing a high symptom burden who may benefit from early palliative care.
Not a fit: Patients with early-stage cancer or those not experiencing significant symptoms may not receive direct benefits from this research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could significantly improve the quality of life for cancer patients by ensuring they receive timely palliative care alongside their oncology treatment.
How similar studies have performed: While Virtual Learning Collaboratives are widely used in healthcare, few studies have specifically evaluated their effectiveness in integrating palliative care, making this approach relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
Birmingham, United States
- University of Alabama at Birmingham — Birmingham, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zubkoff, Lisa — University of Alabama at Birmingham
- Study coordinator: Zubkoff, Lisa
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 below.