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NCT Number: NCT07183527

Hybrid Type I Effectiveness-implementation Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial of CARES

The trial will examine the effectiveness and facilitators and barriers of implementation of CARES, an integrated screening and stepped collaborative care intervention

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Key information

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Cancer Center

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213, United States

Location status: Recruiting

Location contact

Jennifer L Steel, PhD

CONTACT

[email protected]

4126922041

About this study

Over 18 million Americans are living with cancer. Half of them report clinically significant levels of depression, pain, and/or fatigue. According to the NIH consensus statement, these are the three most common and distressing cancer-related symptoms. These symptoms lead to poorer health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and cancer-related treatment adherence, higher unplanned health care utilization and costs, and reduced life expectancy.

Investigators observed in a trial of CARES, an integrated screening and stepped collaborative care intervention, that 75% versus 4% of participants initiated treatment when compared to standard of care. Improvements in HRQoL and reductions in pain, depression, fatigue, emergency room visits, readmissions to the hospital, and length of stay in the hospital were observed. The cost savings to the health care system was $17,085 per patient per year when compared to standard of care.

The overarching objective of the proposed study is to move CARES from research to routine clinical care. Investigators plans to test the effectiveness of CARES in a pragmatic trial or "real world" setting. An implementation-focused process evaluation of participant and clinician engagement with CARES guided by the RE-AIM framework will also be performed. Finally, to prepare to disseminate the intervention, a full cost-effectiveness analysis of CARES will be conducted.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Diagnosis of Cancer
  • Age 18 years or older
  • Read and write in English

Exclusion criteria

  • Evidence of thought disorder
  • Evidence of delusions
  • Evidence of hallucinations
  • Evidence of suicidal ideation with a plan

Treatment and study plan

CARES

Behavioral

Integrated screening and stepped collaborative care

Standard of Care (SOC)

Behavioral

Screening and referral of patient to provider in the community or cancer center

Primary outcomes

  1. Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General

    Time frame: Enrollment to the end of study for participant (12 months). The primary time point is 6 months

    Health Related Quality of Life. A total score (0-108) and subscales scores (0-24 or 0-28) with a higher score reflecting a better quality of life

  2. Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General

    Time frame: Enrollment to the end of study for participant (12 months). The 12 months outcome will be a measure of maintenance of benefits.

    Health Related Quality of Life. A total score (0-108) and subscales scores (0-24 or 0-28) with a higher score reflecting a better quality of life

Secondary outcomes

  1. Patient Health Questionnaire-9

    Time frame: Screening to baseline and baseline to 12 months. The primary outcome will be at 6-months.

    Depressive Symptoms. A higher score reflecting more severe depressive symptoms (range of scores 0-27)

  2. Brief Pain Inventory.

    Time frame: Screening to baseline and baseline to 12 months. The primary outcome will be from baseline to 6-months

    Pain intensity and interference. The Pain, Enjoyment, and General Activity score (0-10) will be used as the secondary outcome. A higher score reflects greater pain interference.

  3. Generalized Anxiety Disorder -7

    Time frame: Screening to baseline and baseline to 12 months. The primary time point is from baseline to 6 months.

    Anxiety. The total score ranges from 0-21. A higher score indicates higher levels of anxiety.

  4. FACIT Fatigue

    Time frame: Baseline to 12 months. The primary time point will be 6 months.

    Fatigue. A total score ranges from 0-52. A higher score indicates less fatigue.

  5. PROMIS Depression

    Time frame: Baseline to 12 months. The primary time point is 6 months. The questionnaire will be used for treatment response 0-24 weeks (every 4 weeks).

    Depressive symptoms. The range is from a T scores of 0-100 with a higher score reflecting higher levels of depressive symptoms.

  6. PROMIS Anxiety

    Time frame: Baseline to 12 months.

    Anxiety. Scores range from a T score of 0-100 and a higher score reflects worse anxiety. Used for treatment response and primary endpoint 6 months.

  7. Fatigue Assessment Scale

    Time frame: Enrollment to the end of study for participant (12 months). The primary time point is 6 months. The questionnaire will also be used for treatment response 0-24 weeks (every 4 weeks).

    Fatigue. The total score ranges from 10 to 50. A higher score reflects more severe fatigue.

  8. Pain Visual Analog Scale

    Time frame: Baseline to 12 months. The 6 month time point is primary. The questionnaire will also be used for treatment response 0-24 weeks (every 4 weeks) and then for the booster session at the end of treatment up until 12 months.

    Pain Severity. Total score ranges from 0-100. A higher score reflects higher levels of pain.

  9. Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index

    Time frame: Enrollment to the end of study for participant (12 months). The primary time point is 6-months.

    Sleep problems. The total sleep quality (0-21) and subscales including the sleep duration (0-24), sleep disturbance (0-3), sleep latency (0-3), days of dysfunction (0-3), efficiency (0-3), overall sleep quality (0-3), medications to sleep (0-3). A higher score means more sleep problems.

  10. Interpersonal Support Evaluation List

    Time frame: Enrollment to the end of study for participant (12 months). The primary time point is 6-months.

    Social support. A higher score reflects better social support. The range of scores 0-48 with subscales including appraisal (0-16), belonging (0-16), and tangible (0-16).

  11. Patient Health Questionnaire-9

    Time frame: Screening to baseline and baseline to 12 months. The 12 months outcome will be a measure of maintenance of benefits.

    Depressive Symptoms. Scores range from 0-27 with a higher score reflecting higher levels of depressive symptoms

  12. Brief Pain Inventory.

    Time frame: Screening to baseline and baseline to 12 months. The 12 month PEG score will reflect maintenance of treatment.

    Pain intensity and interference. The Pain, Enjoyment, and General Activity score (0-10) will be used as the secondary outcome. A higher score reflects greater pain interference.

  13. Generalized Anxiety Disorder -7

    Time frame: Screening to baseline and baseline to 12 months. The 12 months time point will assess maintenance of change.

    Anxiety. The total score ranges from 0-21. A higher score indicates higher levels of anxiety.

  14. FACIT Fatigue

    Time frame: Enrollment to the end of study for participant (12 months). The 12 months time point will reflect maintenance of change in fatigue.

    Fatigue. A total score ranges from 0-52. A higher score indicates less fatigue.

  15. COST

    Time frame: Enrollment to the end of study for participant (12 months). The primary time point will be at 12 months.

    Financial toxicity. The range of scores is from 0-44 and a higher scores reflects a better financial well being.

  16. Cost Coping

    Time frame: Enrollment to the end of study for participant (12 months). The primary time point will be 12 months.

    Cost coping strategies. The total score is the number of cost coping strategies a patient uses to manage their financial costs associated with their medical care. The total number of cost coping strategies is 0-26.

  17. EQ 5D 5L (this is the title of the instrument there is no non abbreviated title)

    Time frame: Enrollment to the end of study for participant (12 months). The primary time point is 12 months.

    Health related quality of life. Total score ranges from 0-25 for part 1 and 0 to 100 for part 2. A higher score reflects a better quality of life.

  18. Cost Assessment

    Time frame: Enrollment to the end of study for participant (12 months). The primary time point is 12 months.

    Health Care Utilization. There is no total score for this questionnaire as it will be used to estimate costs.

  19. PROMIS Depression

    Time frame: Enrollment to the end of study for participant (12 months). The 12 month time point will be used to assess maintenance of change.

    Depressive symptoms. The range is from 0-100 with a higher score reflecting higher levels of depressive symptoms.

  20. PROMIS Anxiety

    Time frame: Enrollment to the end of study for participant (12 months). The 12 months time point is to assess maintenace of change.

    Anxiety. Scores range from 0-100 and a higher score reflects worse anxiety.

  21. Fatigue Assessment Scale

    Time frame: Enrollment to the end of study for participant (12 months). The 12 months time point will assess maintenance of change.

    Fatigue. The total score ranges from 10 to 50. A higher score reflects more severe fatigue.

  22. Pain Visual Analog Scale

    Time frame: Enrollment to the end of study for participant (12 months). The 12 months time point is to assess maintenance of change.

    Pain Severity. Total score ranges from 0-100. A higher score reflects higher levels of pain.

  23. Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index

    Time frame: Enrollment to the end of study for participant (12 months). The 12 months time point is to assess maintenance of change.

    Sleep problems. The total sleep quality (0-21) and subscales including the sleep duration (0-24), sleep disturbance (0-3), sleep latency (0-3), days of dysfunction (0-3), efficiency (0-3), overall sleep quality (0-3), medications to sleep (0-3). A higher score means more sleep problems.

  24. Interpersonal Support Evaluation List

    Time frame: Enrollment to the end of study for participant (12 months). The 12-month time point will assess maintenance of change

    Social support. A higher score reflects better social support. The range of scores 0-48 with subscales including appraisal (0-16), belonging (0-16), and tangible (0-16).

  25. Activity Based Costs

    Time frame: Enrollment to the end of study for participant (12 months). The primary time point is 12 months.

    Health care costs. Range could be 0 to 10 million dollars

  26. Adherence to outpatient appointment

    Time frame: Enrollment to the end of study for participant (12 months). The primary time point is 12 months.

    Adherence to outpatient appointments. Percent of appointments missed out of total appointment in 12 months.

  27. Complications

    Time frame: Baseline to 12 months

    Number of complications from procedures or surgeries during 12 months post randomization. The primary time point is 12 months.

  28. Length of Stay in the Hospital

    Time frame: Baseline to 12 months

    Number of days patient was in the hospital. The primary end point is 12 months

  29. Emergency Room Visits

    Time frame: 12 months

    Number of emergency room visits in 12 months post-randomization. The primary end point is 12 months

  30. 30-day readmissions

    Time frame: Baseline to 12 months

    Unplanned readmission to the hospital after a procedure or surgery within 30 days. Primary end point 12 months

  31. 90-day readmission

    Time frame: Baseline to 12 months

    Unplanned readmission to the hospital after a procedure or surgery within 90 days. The primary endpoint is 12 months

  32. PROMIS Fatigue

    Time frame: Screening to baseline and baseline to 12 months

    Assesses fatigue in cancer patients. Higher score reflects greater fatigue. Score range from a T score 0-100. Primary end point baseline to 6 months

  33. PROMIS Fatigue

    Time frame: Screening to baseline and baseline to 12 months

    Assesses fatigue in cancer patients. Higher score reflects greater fatigue. Score range from a T score 0-100. Secondary endpoint 12 months

Other outcomes

  1. Modified Adverse Childhood Events

    Time frame: The questionnaire will only be administered at baseline

    Adverse events in childhood. The total score ranges from 0-16. A higher score reflects a greater number of early adverse events.

  2. Sociodemographic factors

    Time frame: Administered at baseline only.

    Sociodemographic characteristics of patient (e.g., age, sex, race, ethnicity, etc). No total score.

  3. Adherence to experimental treatment

    Time frame: Baseline to 12 months

    Patient adherence to intervention. Reported as percent completed out of prescribed number of sessions (6-24).

  4. Adherence to Boosters

    Time frame: Baseline to 12 months

    Number of booster sessions completed.

  5. Adherence to home practice

    Time frame: Enrollment to end of study (12 months).

    Patient adherence to intervention. Reported as percent completed.

  6. Height

    Time frame: Baseline through 12 months

    Height in inches

  7. Weight

    Time frame: Baseline to 12 months

    Weight in pounds

  8. Body Mass Index

    Time frame: Baseline to 12 months

    703 x weight x height x 2

  9. Psychiatric diagnoses

    Time frame: Baseline to 12 months

    The measure will provide information that is self-reported by the patient about any new diagnoses (e.g., depression, anxiety). No total score. Frequency of psychiatric diagnoses

  10. Psychiatric or Psychological Treatments

    Time frame: Baseline to 12 months

    The treatments the person may have sought (e.g., counseling, medication, support group, pain clinic, palliative care). No total score. Frequency of treatments patients sought for symptoms

  11. Patient cancer diagnosis

    Time frame: Baseline to 12 months

    Patient cancer diagnoses

  12. Cancer treatments

    Time frame: Prior treatments before baseline and baseline to 12 months

    Past cancer treatments (e.g., surgery, chemotherapy, immunotherapy). No total score. Frequency of treatments.

  13. Stage of Cancer

    Time frame: at diagnosis and changes from baseline to 12 months

    Stage of cancer

  14. Routine laboratory values

    Time frame: Baseline 12 months

    Routine laboratory values (e.g., CEA, WBC, RBC)

  15. Medical comorbities

    Time frame: Prior to baseline and baseline to 12 months

    Medical comorbidities (e.g., hypertension, diabetes). Total number and Charlson Comorbidly Index

  16. Medications

    Time frame: Prior to baseline and baseline to 12 months

    Medications (e.g., antihypertensives, antidepressants). Number of medications, dose of medication, type of medication, and prescriber

  17. Disease progression

    Time frame: Baseline to 12 months

    Disease progression. Measured by Complete response, partial response, disease progression, or stable disease

  18. Residential Segregation

    Time frame: Baseline to 12 months

    Segregation as measured by publicly available resources and mapped based on the United States Census geographic identifiers

  19. Gini Index

    Time frame: Baseline to 12 months

    Income inequality measured using publicly available resources and mapped based on the United States Census geographic identifiers

  20. National Walkability

    Time frame: Baseline to 12 months

    Walkability of neighborhood based on publicly available resources and mapped based on the United States Census geographic identifiers

  21. Area Deprivation Index

    Time frame: Baseline to 12 months

    Socioeconomic disadvantage as measured by publicly available resources and mapped based on the United States Census geographic identifiers

  22. Rural Urban Continuum Code

    Time frame: Baseline to 12 months

    Measure of the rural versus urban residence. Measured using publicly available resources and mapped based on the United States Census geographic identifiers

  23. Intervention Delivery

    Time frame: Baseline to 12 months

    How the intervention was delivered (e.g., phone, videoconference, face to face)

  24. Patient location at time of intervention

    Time frame: Baseline to 12 months

    Where the patient was located when receiving the intervention

  25. Session Content

    Time frame: Baseline to 12 months

    What session content the patient received (e.g., monitoring automatic thoughts, sleep hygiene, energy conservation strategies).

  26. Homework completion

    Time frame: Baseline to 12 months

    Where and what homework was completed. Number of homework assignments and location of completion (e.g., home or in session)

  27. Patient engagement with intervention content

    Time frame: Baseline to 12 months

    Therapists' ratings of patient engagement with the session material. 7 point Likert scale

  28. Patient engagement with homework

    Time frame: Baseline to 12 months

    Therapist reported patient engagement with homework. Likert scale 1-7

  29. Patient-Therapist Rapport

    Time frame: Baseline to 12 months

    Therapist rating of patient-therapist rapport. 1-7 Likert Scale

  30. Crisis intervention

    Time frame: Screening to 12 months

    Number of patients reporting suicidal ideation and plan during screening and treatment. Number of patients requiring crisis intervention.

  31. Change in Medication for Symptoms

    Time frame: Baseline to 12 months

    Initiation or change in medication dose, frequency, type, and health care provider who changed or initiated medication as reported by the patient and verified by medical record.

  32. Symptoms at Screening

    Time frame: Screening to 12 months

    The number of patients who screened negative and positive for anxiety, depressive symptoms, fatigue, and pain

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Jennifer L Steel

CONTACT

[email protected]

4126922041

Jennifer L Steel, PhD

CONTACT

[email protected]

14126922041

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Pittsburgh

Other

Collaborators

  • National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Registry information

Official study title

Hybrid Type I Effectiveness-Implementation Cluster Randomized Trial of CARES

Acronym: CARES

Important dates

Study start
2025
Primary completion
2030
Study completion
2030
First posted
Sep 19, 2025
Registry last updated
Sep 19, 2025

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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