EXPIRED
June 22, 2021
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
This Notice of Special Interest (NOSI) highlights interest of the National Cancer Institute (NCI)’s Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences in receiving investigator-initiated applications for conducting research on the design and implementation of new information technology (IT)-enabled care delivery models to improve depression-related care in cancer.
Background
Depression is common in cancer and contributes to adverse outcomes including a worse quality of life, decreased adherence to treatments, and increased mortality. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends screening all adults for depression based on the availability of several validated, accurate instruments for the screening and diagnosis of depression and effective treatments for depression. For adult cancer patients, the American Society of Clinical Oncology has issued guidelines on screening, assessment, and care of anxiety and depressive symptoms. The collaborative care delivery model is better than usual care in identifying and effectively treating cancer patients with depression, however, this care delivery model is not widely used.
Despite the feasibility of screening for depression in routine oncology practice and the availability of effective treatments and a proven care delivery model, depression in cancer patients is under-diagnosed and under-treated. In the absence of systematic screening, oncologists often fail to diagnose depression in cancer patients. Many cancer patients with depression do not receive effective depression treatment.
Barriers to better management of depression in cancer patients include:
IT can overcome several barriers to the delivery of depression care by oncologists. The recent increase in use of telehealth is an opportunity to improve the virtual delivery of depression care. For example, telehealth can be used to connect psychiatrists with community oncologists to help take care of cancer patients with depression. Applications for mobile devices can be used to screen for depression and to monitor effectiveness of treatments for depression. Mobile applications can also be used to deliver behavioral interventions. The USPSTF recommends depression screening be implemented with adequate systems in place to ensure accurate diagnosis, effective treatment, and appropriate follow-up of patients with depression. IT has an important role to play in a systems-based approach to improve the screening, diagnosis, and treatment of depression in cancer patients.
Research Objectives
The overall objectives of the NOSI are to support:
1) Development of new, IT-based delivery models and test their efficacy in improving screening and management of depression in cancer patients,
2) Evaluation of the effectiveness of IT-based delivery models in a variety of oncology practice settings, especially those serving under-served populations, and
3) Evaluation of the sustainability and scalability of these new IT-based delivery models.
The NOSI encourages research that includes:
Examples of research encouraged by the NOSI include, but are not limited to, studies that:
NIH Research Project Grant Program (R01) may support projects that integrate and evaluate IT-based interventions to screen, diagnose and/or treat depression in cancer patients. NIH Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant Award (R21) may support formative work to develop IT-based interventions or examine their impact in pilot studies.
Applicants are encouraged to identify the aspects of IT-based care delivery model that are being tested to isolate their effects on variability in specified patient outcomes. Examination of interactions at multiple levels (i.e. patient, provider, and care delivery system-level) or intervene at multiple levels are also of interest.
Application and Submission Information
This Notice applies to due dates on or after October 5, 2021 and subsequent receipt dates through March 8, 2024.
Submit applications for this initiative using one of the following funding opportunity announcements (FOAs) or any reissues of these announcement through the expiration date of this notice.
Activity Code |
FOA Title |
First Available Due Date |
R01 |
PAR-21-035: Cancer Prevention and Control Clinical Trials Grant Program (R01 Clinical Trial Required) |
10/05/2021 |
R01 |
PAR-19-274: Dissemination and Implementation Research in Health (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) |
10/05/2021 |
R21 |
PAR-19-275: Dissemination and Implementation Research in Health (R21 Clinical Trial Optional) |
10/16/2021 |
R01 |
PAR-19-352: Intervening with Cancer Caregivers to Improve Patient Health Outcomes and Optimize Healthcare Utilization (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) |
10/05/2021 |
R21 |
PAR-19-355: Intervening with Cancer Caregivers to Improve Patient Health Outcomes and Optimize Healthcare Utilization (R21 Clinical Trial Optional) |
10/16/2021 |
R01 |
PAR-21-190: Modular R01s in Cancer Control and Population Sciences (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) |
11/08/2021 |
R01 |
PA-20-185: NIH Research Project Grant (Parent R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) |
10/05/2021 |
All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide and the funding opportunity announcement used for submission must be followed, with the following additions:
Applications nonresponsive to terms of this NOSI will not be considered for the NOSI initiative.
Scientific/Research Contact(s)
Gurvaneet S. Randhawa, M.D., M.P.H.
National Cancer Institute
Telephone: (240) 276-6940
Email: [email protected]
Financial/Grants Management Contact(s)
Crystal Wolfrey
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Telephone: 240-276-6277
Email: [email protected]