Implementing the NYU Electronic Patient Visit Assessment (ePVA) for Head and Neck Cancer In Rural and Urban Populations

Purpose

The PI and the research team developed the New York University (NYU) Electronic Patient Visit Assessment (ePVA) for head and neck cancer (HNC) as a patient-reported outcome measure (PRO) for the early detection of uncontrolled symptoms. The ePVA is digital patient-reported symptom monitoring system, providing actionable information at point-of-care that enables clinicians to provide real-time interventions. The study aims to advance the science of cancer care delivery by testing the effectiveness of the ePVA as a digital patient-reported monitoring system for patients with HNC in real-world settings and identify implementation strategies that optimize the effectiveness of the ePVA in diverse rural and urban settings. The study hypothesis is that participants assigned to the ePVA arm will have better swallowing, taste and smell, and social function than participants assigned to usual care arm at 4 weeks after completing radiation therapy.

Condition

  • Head and Neck Cancer

Eligibility

Eligible Ages
Over 18 Years
Eligible Genders
All
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
No

Inclusion Criteria

(Patient Participants): - Individuals with histologically diagnosed head and neck cancer (HNC) undergoing curative radiation therapy with or without chemotherapy - English or Spanish speaking Inclusion Criteria (Clinician Participants): - Clinicians (i.e., physicians, nurses, dentists, physician assistants, social workers, nutritionists, speech swallow therapists) caring for patients with head and neck cancer at the participating institutions

Exclusion Criteria

(Patient and Clinician Participants): - Any medical condition that could limit the participant's ability to provide informed consent and complete the questionnaires.

Study Design

Phase
N/A
Study Type
Interventional
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention Model
Parallel Assignment
Primary Purpose
Treatment
Masking
Double (Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)

Arm Groups

ArmDescriptionAssigned Intervention
Experimental
NYU Electronic Patient Visit Assessment (ePVA) plus Usual Care
  • Behavioral: NYU Electronic Patient Visit Assessment (ePVA)
    The NYU Electronic Patient Visit Assessment (ePVA) for head and neck cancer is a digital patient-reported symptom monitoring system, providing actionable information at point-of-care that enables clinicians to provide real-time interventions. Patients access the ePVA through a web link and complete the survey questions within 10 minutes on digital devices (e.g., smart phones, laptops, or digital devices provided by the clinic).
  • Behavioral: Usual Care
    Usual care encompasses pre-treatment, on treatment, and post-treatment care. Pre-treatment care includes education of patients on the treatment plan. On-treatment care includes daily monitoring by a nurse in the radiation therapy (RT) department, weekly on-treatment visits with the RT nurse practitioner and radiation oncologist, and weekly visits with medical oncology nurse practitioners and medical oncologists for patients receiving RT plus chemotherapy. Post-treatment care includes follow-up visits with HNC clinicians (i.e., surgeon, medical oncologist, oral maxillofacial surgeons, and radiation oncologist) to assess the patient's cancer status and identify the patient's acute and long-term symptoms. The clinician's decisions on radiologic exams and referrals to appropriate specialist services, including dental care, are based on the patient's cancer status and symptoms.
Active Comparator
Usual Care
  • Behavioral: NYU Electronic Patient Visit Assessment (ePVA)
    The NYU Electronic Patient Visit Assessment (ePVA) for head and neck cancer is a digital patient-reported symptom monitoring system, providing actionable information at point-of-care that enables clinicians to provide real-time interventions. Patients access the ePVA through a web link and complete the survey questions within 10 minutes on digital devices (e.g., smart phones, laptops, or digital devices provided by the clinic).
  • Behavioral: Usual Care
    Usual care encompasses pre-treatment, on treatment, and post-treatment care. Pre-treatment care includes education of patients on the treatment plan. On-treatment care includes daily monitoring by a nurse in the radiation therapy (RT) department, weekly on-treatment visits with the RT nurse practitioner and radiation oncologist, and weekly visits with medical oncology nurse practitioners and medical oncologists for patients receiving RT plus chemotherapy. Post-treatment care includes follow-up visits with HNC clinicians (i.e., surgeon, medical oncologist, oral maxillofacial surgeons, and radiation oncologist) to assess the patient's cancer status and identify the patient's acute and long-term symptoms. The clinician's decisions on radiologic exams and referrals to appropriate specialist services, including dental care, are based on the patient's cancer status and symptoms.

Recruiting Locations

University of Kansas Cancer Center
Kansas City, Kansas 66160
Contact:
Chris Lominska, MD
clominska@kumc.edu

More Details

Status
Recruiting
Sponsor
The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston

Study Contact

Janet H. Van Cleave, PhD, RN
(713) 500-2000
Janet.H.VanCleave@uth.tmc.edu