Telehealth care for older veterans with cancer and memory loss
Official title: Improving the Telehealth Delivery of Care for Older Veterans with Cancer and Cognitive Impairment
Funded at Veterans Affairs Med Ctr San Francisco · NIH-11141003 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will try improved telehealth approaches to make cancer care easier and safer for older veterans who have memory problems or dementia.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Veterans Affairs Med Ctr San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 5IK2HX003672-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11141003 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Older veterans (typically 65+) with an active cancer diagnosis and documented cognitive impairment or dementia who receive or could receive VA telehealth oncology care.
✕Less likely to help
People who are not VA patients, who lack access to telehealth technology or internet, or whose sensory or communication impairments prevent meaningful telehealth participation may not benefit from this work.
What this research studies
From your perspective as a patient or caregiver, the team is working to make VA virtual cancer visits more usable for older veterans who also have cognitive impairment. They plan to change clinic workflows, train oncology staff, and create tailored supports for patients and caregivers based on the level of memory loss. These changes will be piloted in VA telehealth visits, with feedback collected from veterans, caregivers, and providers and measures of visit quality and outcomes. The goal is practical telehealth routines and supports that can be used across VA clinics to better meet the needs of veterans with both cancer and dementia.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could make virtual cancer visits easier to follow, reduce missed needs, and better include caregivers so veterans with dementia get safer, more person-centered care.
How similar studies have gone: While telehealth has helped many patients, there is limited evidence specifically for people with both cancer and dementia, so this approach is relatively new and not yet widely tested.
Where this research is happening
-
Veterans Affairs Med Ctr San Francisco
San Francisco, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Huang, Li-Wen — Veterans Affairs Med Ctr San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Huang, Li-Wen
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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.