Telehealth care for older veterans with cancer and memory loss
Improving the Telehealth Delivery of Care for Older Veterans with Cancer and Cognitive Impairment
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 ID | NIH-11141003 on NIH RePORTER |
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.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Older veterans (typically 65+) with an active cancer diagnosis and documented cognitive impairment or dementia who receive or could receive VA telehealth oncology care.
Not a fit: 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.
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 performed: 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
San Francisco, United States
- 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
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.