Telehealth Outreach for Lung Cancer

Overseen By Jocelyn Wainwright, MS

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Abramson Cancer Center at Penn Medicine

Disqualifiers: Other cancers, Schizophrenia, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 1

30 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial aims to evaluate how two communication methods affect lung cancer patients' participation in a telehealth care program. One group will receive frequent, personalized messages and reminders, known as "High Touch Outreach," while the other group will receive standard messages. The researchers aim to determine which method better engages patients with their care. Lung cancer patients receiving care at Penn Medicine and referred for mental health support may be suitable candidates for this trial. As an unphased trial, it offers patients the chance to contribute to innovative research that could improve telehealth care for lung cancer patients.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. It's best to discuss this with the trial coordinators or your doctor.

What prior data suggests that these outreach strategies are safe for lung cancer patients?

Research shows that telehealth methods, such as the High Touch Outreach being tested, are generally well-received by patients. Studies have found that telehealth sessions for lung cancer screenings are as effective and safe as in-person visits. Patients experience no more problems or side effects with telehealth than with traditional care.

Previous research has shown that digital health methods, like sending text messages or emails, effectively encourage participation in health screenings. These methods are safe because they use familiar tools, such as texting and email.

While specific safety data for the High Touch Outreach treatment is not available, similar uses of telehealth and digital outreach have proven safe and well-accepted by patients. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the High Touch Outreach method for lung cancer because it integrates a personalized communication strategy to engage patients. Unlike standard outreach methods, which typically involve generic messages, the High Touch Outreach uses a gain-framed message sent through multiple platforms like text, email, and postal mail. This approach also includes personalized follow-ups from oncology providers, which could significantly enhance patient engagement and improve screening rates. By emphasizing collaborative care and providing tailored outreach, this method has the potential to bridge the gap between patients and healthcare providers, ultimately improving health outcomes.

What evidence suggests that this trial's outreach strategies could be effective for lung cancer?

This trial will compare High Touch Outreach with Standard Outreach to enhance lung cancer care. Research has shown that personal outreach in telehealth can improve lung cancer care by increasing patient involvement. Studies have found that more intensive outreach boosts participation in lung cancer screenings, which are vital for early detection. Previous findings suggest that digital health strategies, such as personal outreach, help overcome common screening barriers, like identifying patients who qualify based on smoking history. Improved communication through methods like text and email has been linked to higher screening rates. Overall, personal outreach may lead to better lung cancer outcomes by encouraging more patients to participate in essential health screenings. ^{6 7 8 9 10}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Alexandria Muench, PsyD

Principal Investigator

University of Pennsylvania

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for lung cancer patients who may also be experiencing depression or anxiety. It's designed to see if a special 'high touch' outreach approach helps them more than the usual care when it comes to managing their conditions through telehealth services.

Inclusion Criteria

Currently being seen by Penn Medicine Thoracic Oncology for lung cancer treatment or survivorship care

I am 18 years old or older.

I was referred by a Penn Medicine Thoracic Oncology clinician for mental health treatment.

Exclusion Criteria

Already receiving psycho-therapy treatment services outside of Penn Medicine's collaborative care program, Penn Integrated Care (PIC)

I do not have severe untreated health or mental health issues.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Outreach and Intake Assessment

Participants receive outreach messages and complete the intake assessment

4 weeks

1 visit (virtual)

Collaborative Care Treatment

Participants receive collaborative care treatment via telehealth

up to 6 months

Multiple visits (virtual)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in PHQ-9, PROMIS Fatigue, and GAD-7 scores

4 weeks

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• High Touch Outreach

Trial Overview The study is testing two different ways of reaching out to patients: a 'high touch' method which might involve more frequent and personalized contact, versus standard practices. The focus is on how these methods affect the delivery and effectiveness of collaborative care via telehealth.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: High Touch Outreach Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Patients in the high touch outreach arm will receive a gain-framed message via text (preferred modality), MyPennMedicine message, email, and/or postal mail that links to the digital screener; an informational flyer about collaborative care sent via postal mail, the MyPennMedicine portal, email, and/or text; and a direct request from their oncology provider to collaborative care for those patients who have not responded to outreach efforts by their next oncology visit post-referral.

Group II: Standard Outreach Active Control 1 Intervention

Patients in the standard outreach arm will receive a standard message sent via text (preferred modality), MyPennMedicine message, email, and/or postal mail that links to the digital screener; this message is one that is similar to that already used in Penn Integrated Care's practice.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Abramson Cancer Center at Penn Medicine

Lead Sponsor

Trials

425

Recruited

464,000+

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Collaborator

Trials

2,896

Recruited

8,053,000+

National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Collaborator

Trials

14,080

Recruited

41,180,000+

Citations

1. clinicaltrials.gov clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07102147

Telehealth Collaborative Care Model (CoCM) in Lung ... The goal of this project is to pilot test the effectiveness of using a more-intensive (high touch) outreach strategy to increase the reach of an adapted, ...

2. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11207744/

University of Pennsylvania Telehealth Research Center of ... Persistent barriers to better lung cancer outcomes include low uptake of annual lung cancer screening with low-dose computed tomography (CT) ...

3. withpower.com withpower.com/trial/phase-disease-7-2025-c4240

Telehealth Outreach for Lung Cancer The goal of this trial is to compare the impact of two outreach strategies (high touch vs. standard outreach) on a collaborative care program delivered via ...

4. news.unchealthcare.org news.unchealthcare.org/2025/10/digital-health-outreach-improves-lung-cancer-screening/

Digital Health Outreach Improves Lung Cancer Screening Barriers to screening include challenges identifying screening-eligible patients, which requires assessing lifetime smoking exposure. Other ...

5. mdpi.com mdpi.com/1660-4601/22/8/1250

Effectiveness of Technology-Based Interventions in ... According to a study led by Mount Sinai researchers, results demonstrated a 10-year lung cancer-specific survival rate of 81% (95% CI, 79–84%) and a 20-year ...

6. clinicaltrials.gov clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07102147?aggFilters=status%3A

Telehealth Collaborative Care Model (CoCM) in Lung ... The goal of this trial is to compare the impact of two outreach strategies (high touch vs. standard outreach) on a collaborative care program delivered via ...

7. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12150070/

Association of Telehealth Encounters With Lung Cancer ... This study suggests that telehealth and in-person encounters seem to be comparable for lung cancer screening consultations.

8. academic.oup.com academic.oup.com/jncimono/article/2024/64/62/7699811

University of Pennsylvania Telehealth Research Center of ... We are evaluating the survey completion data and will continue to assess the accuracy of our questions to estimate lung cancer screening ...

9. clinicaltrials.gov clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06638554

Integrating Telehealth to Advance Lung Cancer Screening The goal of this pragmatic trial is to learn if telehealth strategies can increase shared decision-making (SDM) for lung cancer screening ...

10. medicalxpress.com medicalxpress.com/news/2025-10-digital-health-outreach-lung-cancer.html

Digital health outreach can improve lung cancer screening "This study shows that this kind of digital outreach using the EHR portal or text messaging is a scalable way to make an impact on screening ...