Understanding and managing advanced cancer pain at home using smart technology
Official title: Characterizing the Complexity of Advanced Cancer Pain in the Home Context by Leveraging Smart Health Technology
Funded at University of Virginia · NIH-10992612 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how people with advanced cancer and their family caregivers manage pain at home, and it wants to use smart technology to create personalized support that makes pain relief easier and more effective for everyone involved.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Virginia NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Charlottesville, United States) |
| Project start | February 1, 2021 |
| Project end | November 30, 2025 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $654,496 |
| NIH project number | 5R01NR019639-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-10992612 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are patients with advanced cancer who experience significant pain and their family caregivers involved in their care.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with early-stage cancer or those not experiencing significant pain may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates how advanced cancer pain is managed in home settings, focusing on the roles of patients and their family caregivers. It aims to leverage smart health technology to create personalized support systems that can help alleviate pain more effectively. By analyzing the unique experiences of patients and caregivers, the study seeks to develop interventions that are tailored to individual needs. The approach includes deploying unobtrusive health monitoring systems to gather data on pain management practices.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved pain management strategies for patients with advanced cancer, enhancing their quality of life.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promise in using technology for pain management, indicating that this approach could be effective.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lebaron, Virginia Townsend — University of Virginia
- Study coordinator: Lebaron, Virginia Townsend
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
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Healing Gardens: a mobile game-based program to help adults with advanced cancer manage pain
A patient-friendly program uses a playful, phone-based game and coping tools to help adults with advanced cancer reduce pain and use medicines and strategies more effectively.
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Brief Meaning Centered Psychotherapy for Advanced Cancer Patients Receiving Homecare
A practical study tests a short, meaning-centered talk therapy delivered by home health nurses to reduce distress in people with advanced cancer who get home care.
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.