Feasibility Pilot of AYA-PARTNER

Overview

This is a single-center, non-randomized feasibility pilot study of an adapted Adolescent and Young Adult Patient Advocacy, Real-Time Navigation, Equity and Reach (AYA-PARTNER) intervention for young adults ages 18-39 receiving systemic cancer treatment at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) and UNC Rex and affiliated clinics. The study will use information from the electronic health record to identify young adults who may have unmet needs during cancer treatment. Examples include emergency or urgent care visits, missed appointments, no activation of the patient portal (MyChart), or treatment plans that may cause significant side effects. A trained study navigator will confirm eligibility, obtain informed consent, and provide personalized support for 4 months. The navigator will contact participants at least once each month by phone, text message, email, MyChart, or video, based on participant preference. Support may include connecting participants with supportive care services and sharing concerns with their oncology care team. The study will enroll 30 participants over 12 months, with a total study duration of 24 months. Participants will complete a needs assessment at the start of the study and again at 4 months, as well as a survey about their experience with the intervention at 4 months. The main goal of the study is to determine whether the intervention is feasible, measured by the percentage of participants who complete the 4-month survey. The study will consider the intervention feasible if at least 50% of participants complete the survey. Other goals are to determine how many eligible patients agree to participate and how acceptable the intervention is to patients and oncology clinicians. The study will also explore changes in participants' unmet needs and describe how the navigation program is delivered, including navigator activities, participant engagement, and other factors that may affect implementation.