Using community health workers to improve palliative care for African American adults with advanced cancer
I TITRATE PC: An Implementation based Community Health Worker Intervention to address Disparities in Palliative Care
This program pairs culturally trained community health workers with palliative care teams to help African American adults with advanced cancer get better information, support, and access to end-of-life care options.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Wake Forest University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Winston-Salem, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11318877 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be connected with a community health worker (CHW) who joins your palliative care team to provide culturally sensitive education, help with advance care planning, and navigate services like hospice. CHWs will work to address barriers such as mistrust, lack of information, family concerns, and economic challenges that can make it harder to get palliative care. The team will track whether adding CHWs helps more people get goal-concordant care, improves symptom control, and increases use of palliative or hospice services. The approach builds on proven CHW roles in other illnesses but adapts them specifically to meet the needs of African American patients with advanced cancer.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are African American adults living with advanced cancer who receive care at participating clinics and who could benefit from extra support with palliative or end-of-life planning.
Not a fit: People without advanced cancer, those already fully engaged with palliative services, or patients not served by the participating clinics are unlikely to be eligible or to benefit directly.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could increase use of palliative and hospice services, reduce symptom burden, and help care better match patients' cultural values and wishes.
How similar studies have performed: Community health worker programs have improved access and outcomes in HIV, tuberculosis, and some cancer care settings, though applying CHWs specifically to reduce palliative care disparities is less common.
Where this research is happening
Winston-Salem, United States
- Wake Forest University Health Sciences — Winston-Salem, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Johnston, Fabian M — Wake Forest University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Johnston, Fabian M
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.