Medication support for children after a stem cell transplant
Official title: MedMemos: A Program to Promote Medication Adherence in Pediatric Hematopoeitic Stem Cell Transplantation
Funded at Research Inst Nationwide Children's Hosp · NIH-11374322 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This program gives caregivers short, tailored lessons and a Medication Management Kit to help families keep up with complex outpatient medicines after a child's allogeneic stem cell transplant.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Research Inst Nationwide Children's Hosp NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Columbus, United States) |
| Project start | May 1, 2026 |
| Project end | April 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $406,258 |
| NIH project number | 1R21CA309321-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11374322 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Children receiving an allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant and their primary caregivers—especially those managing the transition from hospital to home—are the intended participants.
✕Less likely to help
Families without a primary caregiver responsible for medications, patients not undergoing allogeneic transplant, or those unable to participate in the inpatient and outpatient sessions are unlikely to benefit from this program.
What this research studies
As a caregiver of a child who had a stem cell transplant, I would get four brief sessions—two while my child is in the hospital and two after we go home—plus short, personalized education videos and a Medication Management Kit. The team will deliver the program to small groups of caregiver–patient pairs, ask for our feedback, and refine the content and timing based on what works for families and providers. The project focuses on practical strategies to overcome common barriers like confusing schedules, changing prescriptions, and caregiver stress. If helpful, the program will move on to a next phase to show whether these changes lead to better medication-taking habits.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: This could help families keep children on critical medicines more consistently and lower the risk of serious complications like graft-versus-host disease and rehospitalization.
How similar studies have gone: Caregiver-focused adherence efforts have shown promise in other pediatric chronic conditions, but this specific tailored MedMemos approach for pediatric allogeneic transplant is new.
Where this research is happening
-
Research Inst Nationwide Children's Hosp
Columbus, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Pai, Ahna Luise — Research Inst Nationwide Children's Hosp
- Study coordinator: Pai, Ahna Luise
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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.