This clinical trial evaluates whether the Transportation for Cancer Care Navigation Tool (TRACT) can reduce travel barriers among patients with solid tumors receiving radiation therapy. It is estimated that 20-30% patients with cancer experience travel-related barriers for cancer care. This is a particular problem for patients with radiation therapy as these patients frequently receive multiple treatment cycles, which often require daily treatment for multiple weeks or months. Addressing travel barriers has been a prerequisite for cancer care as travel barriers negatively influence cancer treatment adherence and cancer care outcomes, such as survival and quality of life. The TRACT program may help reduce travel barriers and therefore promote health equity among patients with solid tumors receiving radiation therapy.
PRIMARY OBJECTIVES: I. To work collaboratively with a Community Advisory Board (CAB, e.g., patients, caregivers, clinicians, and social workers) to refine a theory-driven TRACT program for solid tumor patients receiving radiation therapy (RT) with travel barriers. II. To evaluate the feasibility of the TRACT program for patients with solid tumors receiving RT with travel barriers. III. To explore the efficacy of the TRACT program on RT adherence (canceling, delaying, missing, or terminating essential care) and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) (distress, financial toxicity, and quality of life \[QOL\]) compared to enhanced usual care (EUC, usual care + transportation awareness brief video with Patient Advocate Foundation \[PAF\] pamphlet). OUTLINE: STAGE I (CAB): Participants meet with the study research team to develop and refine the TRACT program. STAGE II: Patients are randomized to 2 groups. GROUP I: Patients receive the TRACT program consisting: of 1) Screening of travel barriers; 2) Awareness of transportation obstacles and resources using videos, 3) Assistance with transportation resource application and utilization, and 4) Alignment of community resources to navigate individualized transportation support by the trained travel navigator for 3 months. GROUP II: Patients receive usual care with PAF pamphlet for 3 months. After completion of study intervention, patients are followed up at 3 months.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
76
Receive usual care
Participate in a CAB
Receive PAF pamphlet
Receive the TRACT program
Receive transportation awareness brief video
Ancillary studies
Emory Proton Therapy Center
Atlanta, Georgia, United States
NOT_YET_RECRUITINGEmory University Hospital Midtown
Atlanta, Georgia, United States
RECRUITINGEmory University Hospital/Winship Cancer Institute
Atlanta, Georgia, United States
RECRUITINGEmory Saint Joseph's Hospital
Atlanta, Georgia, United States
RECRUITINGFeasibility of screening patients for the Transportation for Cancer Care Navigation Tool (TRACT) program
Will be assessed by response rates, time burden (minutes to complete the measure), and percent of positive screenings. Will use descriptive statistics. Differences between the two groups will be assessed by an independent two-sample t-test or Chi-squared test if applicable. A 95% level of statistical confidence will be assumed.
Time frame: At T0 (pre-intervention) and T1 (3 months post-intervention)
Recruitment to the TRACT program (Feasibility)
Will be assessed by the number of patients screened and randomized. Will use descriptive statistics. Differences between the two groups will be assessed by an independent two-sample t-test or Chi-squared test if applicable. A 95% level of statistical confidence will be assumed.
Time frame: At T0 (pre-intervention) and T1 (3 months post-intervention)
Retention and adherence rate (Feasibility)
Will be assessed by the total number of meetings and time spent with the travel navigator for travel resources, percentage of patients using travel resources, percentage of patients with completed measures. Differences between the two groups will be assessed by an independent two-sample t-test or Chi-squared test if applicable. A 95% level of statistical confidence will be assumed.
Time frame: At T0 (pre-intervention) and T1 (3 months post-intervention)
Acceptability of the Transportation for Cancer Care Navigation Tool
Will be assessed by the 4-item Acceptability of Intervention Measure with Cronbach alpha=0.85-0.91. Differences between the two groups will be assessed by an independent two-sample t-test or Chi-squared test if applicable. A 95% level of statistical confidence will be assumed.
Time frame: At T0 (pre-intervention) and T1 (3 months post-intervention)
Travel barriers
Will be reported as transportation mode (e.g., public transportation, drive-myself, drive-someone else drives me), owning a car (yes/no), parking cost, and travel cost for each appointment. Travel distance and time to cancer treatment facilities will be estimated by ArcGIS 10.3. Categorical and continuous variables will be used to present this outcome variable.
Time frame: At T0 (3 months) and T1 (3 months post-intervention)
Treatment adherence
Will be assessed by canceling, missing, delaying, or terminating essential care. Nonadherence rates will be calculated as the number of no-shows, same-day cancellations, delays, and early stoppage of treatment divided by the total number of treatment days based on data within the electronic health records (EMRs). A percentage of completion rate of treatment will be calculated to present the treatment adherence.
Time frame: At T1 (3 months post-intervention)
Distress
Will be measured by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Distress Thermometer. The one-item 11-point Likert scale represented on a visual graphic of a thermometer ranging from 0 (no distress) to 10 (extreme distress) will be used to assess patients' distress. Will be assessed using mixed-effect analysis of variance to model the correlations.
Time frame: At T0 (3 months) and T1 (3 months post-intervention)
Financial toxicity
Will be measured by the Comprehensive Score for Financial Toxicity (COST). The COST is a 5-point Likert scale evaluating financial toxicity in the past week. Will be assessed using mixed-effect analysis of variance to model the correlations.
Time frame: At T0 (3 months) and T1 (3 months post-intervention)
Quality of life (QOL)
Will be measured by the European QoL 5-Dimension questionnaire (EQ-5D), a widely used instrument to measure patients' QOL. The EQ-5D is a 2-part questionnaire. Will be calculated based on the technique of composite time trade-off preferences and scores of the 5 domains, indicating that -0.573 = worst health and 1 = best health. Will be assessed using mixed-effect analysis of variance to model the correlations.
Time frame: At T0 (3 months) and T1 (3 months post-intervention)
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