Telehealth and mobile program to ease sleep, worry, depression, and fatigue for people with advanced cancer in rural areas
Official title: Randomized clinical trial of a telemedicine-mHealth symptom cluster intervention for advanced cancer patients: Increasing access in underserved rural communities
Funded at Ohio State University · NIH-11180332 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A short telehealth and mobile program aims to help people with advanced cancer in rural communities manage sleep problems, worry/anxiety, depression, and fatigue.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ohio State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Columbus, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | September 1, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $656,043 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA281885-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11180332 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults with advanced cancer who live in underserved or rural areas and are experiencing sleep problems, worry/anxiety, depression, or fatigue and who can use a phone or internet-based app for telehealth.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without these symptoms, those with severe cognitive impairment or communication barriers that prevent using the program, or those with no phone/internet access may not receive benefit from this intervention.
What this research studies
If you join, you would be randomly assigned to receive a four-module FOCUS program delivered by telemedicine and mobile tools that blends the most helpful parts of cognitive-behavioral and acceptance-based therapies. The short program teaches practical skills to reduce symptoms when possible and to continue living meaningfully despite symptoms, with a focus on sleep, worry, mood, and fatigue. The researchers will compare symptom, sleep, and quality-of-life outcomes in people with advanced cancer living in underserved rural areas, including Appalachian communities. This larger trial builds on a pilot that showed large improvements and aims to increase access to symptom care where in-person services are limited.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this remote program could reduce insomnia, anxiety, depression, and fatigue and improve daily functioning and quality of life for people with advanced cancer in rural areas.
How similar studies have gone: A prior pilot randomized trial of the same four-module FOCUS mHealth program produced large improvements in insomnia, worry, depression, and fatigue, but larger trials are needed to confirm those findings.
Where this research is happening
-
Ohio State University
Columbus, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wells-Di Gregorio, Sharla Maelyn — Ohio State University
- Study coordinator: Wells-Di Gregorio, Sharla Maelyn
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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.