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Clinical trial Recruiting at 1 site Interventional Ages 18 and up

Web-based CONNECT toolkit to reduce emotional distress and anxiety in rural older cancer survivors

Official title: Designing for Sustainability: Co-Designing and Testing the Efficacy of a Web-Based Toolkit to Improve Cancer-Related Emotional Distress and Anxiety for Rural Older Cancer Survivors

Run by Northwestern University · NCT07290543 · Data updated 2026-11-12

We will test whether CONNECT, a web-based toolkit, can help reduce cancer-related emotional distress and anxiety in rural adults over 65 who have finished cancer treatment.

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Quick facts

Study typeInterventional
Ages18 Years and up
SexAll
Enrollment578 (estimated)
SponsorNorthwestern University
Academic / other
Drugs / interventionschemotherapy
Locations1 site (Chicago, Illinois)
StatusRecruiting
StartedAugust 26, 2025
Main results expectedAugust 26, 2031
Study endsAugust 26, 2032
Registry record updatedDecember 18, 2025
Trial IDNCT07290543 on ClinicalTrials.gov

Is this trial a fit for you?

Likely a good fit

Ideal candidates are rural residents aged over 65 who self-report a prior cancer diagnosis, have completed curative-intent treatment, and have access to a smartphone, tablet, or computer.

Probably not a fit

Patients currently in active cancer treatment, those without internet or device access, non-English speakers, or individuals with severe cognitive impairment are unlikely to benefit from this web-based toolkit.

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

CONNECT is a web-based toolkit designed to address digital literacy and provide individualized resources for managing cancer-related distress and anxiety in rural older survivors. The project begins with a co-design phase using an advisory board of stakeholders to finalize the digital tool. In a randomized trial, rural cancer survivors and their caregivers will be assigned to the CONNECT intervention or a comparison arm and followed with the 23-item Cancer and Treatment Distress Scale (CTXD) as the primary outcome, along with measures of telehealth use, unmet needs, caregiver strain, and healthcare resource utilization. Feasibility and scale-up potential will be examined via qualitative interviews with participants and healthcare stakeholders.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, CONNECT could lower distress and anxiety and improve access to mental health resources and telehealth use for rural older cancer survivors.

How similar studies have gone: Some web-based psychosocial interventions have reduced distress in cancer populations, but tailored digital toolkits specifically for rural older survivors are relatively novel and less well studied.

Who can join: the full rules

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria 
Inclusion Criteria:

* AIM 1: Invited by a member of the study team
* AIM 1: In the following or related field:

  * Healthcare professionals (physicians, nurses, pharmacists, etc.)
  * Patient advocates and representatives
  * Researchers in healthcare or technology fields
  * Healthcare administrators and managers
* AIM 1: Must be over 18 years old
* AIM 1: English-speaking
* AIM 1: Willing and able to provide informed consent
* AIM 2 (RURAL OLDER CANCER SURVIVORS): A rural resident based on the Health Resources \& Services Administration (HRSA) rural analyzer
* AIM 2 (RURAL OLDER CANCER SURVIVORS): Self-report of diagnosis with any cancer
* AIM 2 (RURAL OLDER CANCER SURVIVORS): Self-report posttreatment (i.e., completion of curative intent therapy including surgery, chemotherapy, molecularly targeted, and endocrine therapy)
* AIM 2 (RURAL OLDER CANCER SURVIVORS): Have access to a computer, a smartphone, or a tablet computer
* AIM 2 (RURAL OLDER CANCER SURVIVORS): Aged \> 65 years old
* AIM 2 (RURAL OLDER CANCER SURVIVORS): Assessed as having Cancer and Treatment Distress scale (CTXD) scores \> 0.85 at screening
* AIM 2 (RURAL OLDER CANCER SURVIVORS): Have a caregiver willing to participate
* AIM 2 (RURAL OLDER CANCER SURVIVORS): Non-institutionalized
* AIM 2 (RURAL OLDER CANCER SURVIVORS): English proficient
* AIM 2 (RURAL OLDER CANCER SURVIVORS): Willing and able to provide informed consent
* AIM 2 (CAREGIVER): An identified informal caregiver of an eligible ROCS (caregivers include, but are not limited to, a child, partner, or friend; caregivers can reside in a rural or urban area and may or may not live with the ROCS
* AIM 2 (CAREGIVER): Have internet access
* AIM 2 (CAREGIVER): ≥ 18 years old
* AIM 2 (CAREGIVER): Non-institutionalized
* AIM 2 (CAREGIVER): English proficient
* AIM 2 (CAREGIVER): Willing and able to provide informed consent
* AIM 3 (FINAL WORKSHOP): Includes providers, medical and practice managers, patient care coordinators, and medical health technologists

Exclusion Criteria:

* AIM 2 (RURAL OLDER CANCER SURVIVORS): Experience a cancer recurrence or a new cancer diagnosis during their participation in the trial because of the body of literature that reports increased distress associated with cancer recurrence
* AIM 2 (RURAL OLDER CANCER SURVIVORS AND CAREGIVER): Are inpatients
* AIM 2 (RURAL OLDER CANCER SURVIVORS AND CAREGIVER): Cognitive impairment precludes the ability to provide written consent

Where it's running

  • Northwestern University
    Chicago, Illinois, United States     Recruiting

Study contacts

Similar studies

Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.

How to take part

  1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
  2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
  3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.
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Last reviewed 2026-11-14 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.