Improving how cancer care is coordinated across hospitals and clinics in the same health system
Project 1: Care Integration for Patients with Cancer Treated in Health Systems
This project looks at how hospitals and clinics that are part of the same health system can coordinate cancer care to make treatment smoother for people with cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Harvard Medical School NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11145942 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you get cancer care at hospitals or clinics owned by the same health system, this project will study how well those sites work together. Researchers will measure things like shared policies, teamwork between providers, common culture, and coordinated clinical steps, and will examine structural features such as co-location and referral patterns. The team will conduct case studies and interviews inside health systems and will survey system leaders and practice managers, then link those measures to quality, service use, and spending. They will also look for differences in outcomes for patients in rural and low-income communities.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are people with cancer who receive care within hospitals or outpatient practices owned by larger health systems, especially those in rural or low-income areas.
Not a fit: Patients treated only in independent or unaffiliated clinics, or those seeking a new medical therapy, are unlikely to receive direct personal benefit from this systems-focused project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could help health systems organize care to reduce delays, improve quality, and lower unnecessary costs for people with cancer.
How similar studies have performed: Previous studies of integrated health systems have shown some improvements in coordination and outcomes but results are mixed, so this project applies more detailed integration measures across multiple sites.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Harvard Medical School — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kerrissey, Michaela June — Harvard Medical School
- Study coordinator: Kerrissey, Michaela June
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.