Shared-care program to better coordinate cancer and chronic disease care for underserved patients
Official title: OPTIMISE: A Shared Care Approach for Improving Comprehensive Care of Cancer Patients with Comorbidities in A Safety-Net System
Funded at Thomas Jefferson University · NIH-11473510 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This program connects oncologists and primary care doctors to improve care for people newly treated for breast, gastrointestinal, or blood cancers who also have other chronic health conditions.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Thomas Jefferson University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project start | June 1, 2021 |
| Project end | May 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $789,068 |
| NIH project number | 7R01CA258040-06 |
| Project ID | NIH-11473510 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are newly diagnosed breast, gastrointestinal, or hematologic cancer patients treated with curative intent who also have one or more chronic conditions that require ongoing management during cancer treatment, and who receive care in the participating safety-net system.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without comorbid chronic conditions, those receiving non-curative or purely palliative cancer care, or patients treated outside the participating safety-net system are unlikely to benefit from this program.
What this research studies
If you are a newly diagnosed breast, GI, or hematologic cancer patient who also has another chronic condition, this project offers a shared-care program to improve communication between your cancer team and your primary care provider. Three hundred patients treated with curative intent who need ongoing management for comorbidities will complete a baseline survey and then be randomly placed into either the OPTIMISE shared-care program or usual medical care. The shared-care approach focuses on structured coordination and information-sharing between oncologists and PCPs to support treatment, surveillance, and chronic disease management during and after cancer care. Study staff will track outcomes to see whether the coordinated approach helps patients navigate care more smoothly and improves health after treatment.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could improve coordination of cancer and chronic disease care, reduce complications, and lead to better follow-up and quality of life for medically underserved cancer survivors.
How similar studies have gone: Shared-care and care-coordination programs have shown promise in prior studies, but this approach is relatively novel for complex cancer survivors in a large safety-net healthcare system.
Where this research is happening
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Thomas Jefferson University
Philadelphia, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Badr, Hoda J. — Thomas Jefferson University
- Study coordinator: Badr, Hoda J.
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.