Remote digital program to boost colorectal cancer screening in rural community health centers
Evaluating a remotely delivered, digital health CRC screening intervention among rural patients of a community health center
A digital platform will help adults served by rural community health centers get and complete recommended colorectal cancer screening.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chapel Hill, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11145625 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
As a patient at a rural community health center, you might receive education, reminders, and support through a phone- or web-based platform called mPATH-Cloud. The program automates outreach and helps with steps like scheduling or getting at-home screening kits, and some patients will be randomly assigned to receive the digital program while others receive usual care. Researchers will track who completes guideline-recommended screening and will interview patients and clinic staff to learn which messages and processes work best. The findings will be used to adapt the program to fit rural clinic resources and patient needs before broader rollout.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults eligible for colorectal cancer screening who receive care at participating rural federally qualified health centers are the ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People already up-to-date on colorectal screening, those who do not receive care at the participating clinics, or patients without reliable phone/internet access may not benefit from this program.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could raise screening rates in rural clinics so more colorectal cancers are detected earlier when treatment is most effective.
How similar studies have performed: Previous digital outreach and mailed-home test programs have improved screening rates, and this trial adapts a previously developed mPATH-Cloud platform specifically for rural clinics.
Where this research is happening
Chapel Hill, United States
- Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill — Chapel Hill, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Frerichs, Leah M. — Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- Study coordinator: Frerichs, Leah M.
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.