Telehealth to improve cancer care at Penn
Penn Telehealth Research Center of Excellence in Cancer Care
This project will use telehealth plus behavioral science to help people with lung cancer get easier access to care, better quality visits, and more efficient follow-up.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pennsylvania NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11187200 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be offered new telehealth approaches—live video or phone visits supported by messages and secure portal tools—to make appointments easier and keep track of care. The team uses communication science and behavioral economics to design how visits, reminders, and messages are delivered so they are easier to use and more helpful. They will run practical tests of synchronous telehealth supported by asynchronous elements to see which approaches help with access, care quality, patient experience, and health outcomes, using lung cancer as a model. The research also looks at whether telehealth narrows or widens gaps in care for people with limited internet access or other barriers.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people with lung cancer receiving care at Penn or partnering clinics who are willing to try telehealth visits or share feedback on remote care.
Not a fit: Patients who need hands-on in-person treatments (such as surgeries or infusion therapies) or who lack reliable internet, a suitable device, or the ability to use telehealth may not benefit directly from these approaches.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could make it easier to get cancer care remotely, improve coordination and quality of visits, and reduce travel and wait times for patients.
How similar studies have performed: Telehealth expanded widely during COVID-19 and many programs improved access and convenience, but strong evidence that telehealth improves cancer outcomes or reduces disparities remains limited.
Where this research is happening
Philadelphia, United States
- University of Pennsylvania — Philadelphia, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Rendle, Katharine a. — University of Pennsylvania
- Study coordinator: Rendle, Katharine a.
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.