Access to Care Pilot for ED-Presenting Head and Neck Cancer Patients (ENRICH-HNC) (NCT07225725)
Community Health Support for Emergency Department-Presenting Head and Neck Cancer Patients: A Pilot to Improve Access to Timely Care
🩺 Plain-English Summary (8th-Grade Level)
Patients diagnosed with head and neck cancer (HNC) after presenting to an emergency department (ED) often face significant delays in diagnosis and treatment. These patients are frequently younger, underinsured, and experience multiple socioeconomic and systems-level barriers to accessing timely cancer care. Delays of more than 30 days have been associated with worse outcomes, including higher recurrence rates and reduced survival. This pilot study will evaluate the feasibility and early impact of a community-based navigation program designed to improve access to timely care for ED-presenting HNC patients. The study embeds trained Community Health Support Specialists (CHSS) from the Engaging Navigators to Reduce Inequities in Cancer Health (ENRICH) program into the ED-to-treatment pathway. After ED discharge, CHSS staff will contact participants by telephone or text message to identify barriers to care-such as transportation, insurance, housing, or communication challenges-and connect them with appropriate community or institutional resources. All participants will receive the CHSS navigation intervention. Outcomes will be compared with a historical cohort of similar ED-presenting HNC patients treated prior to program implementation. The primary outcomes are time from ED discharge to diagnostic biopsy and time from ED discharge to initiation of definitive treatment. Secondary outcomes include feasibility, measured as the proportion of participants who complete CHSS navigation, and exploratory analyses of the types of barriers identified and resolved. Findings from this pilot will generate preliminary data to inform larger studies aimed at improving access, reducing disparities, and accelerating treatment for head and neck cancer patients who first present in the emergency setting.
Who can join: Review the eligibility criteria below.
Location: Methodist University Hospital — Orlando, Florida
Age range: 18 Years
🧪 Interventions in This Study
- Community Health Support Specialist (CHSS) Navigation (BEHAVIORAL)
📋 "Do I Qualify?" — 1-Minute Self Screener
Instant ChecklistFull eligibility criteria are available on the official NIH protocol. View the criteria ↗
📍 All Participating Trial Locations (2 Sites)
- Methodist University Hospital — Orlando, Florida
- Regional One Health — Memphis, Tennessee
📞 Contact the Study Coordinator
Phone: (321) 287-7574
Email: jsoffer@uthsc.edu
Coordinator details come directly from the registered NIH protocol. Confirm the study is still recruiting before traveling.
💰 Cost, Insurance & Patient Rights
- 100% Free Items: The investigational treatment and protocol-required procedures are supplied at zero cost by the sponsor.
- Routine Patient Care: Under federal law (ACA § 2709) and many state statutes, routine care costs are covered during participation.
- Voluntary Participation: You may withdraw at any time without affecting your standard medical care.
More studies in Head and Neck Neoplasms
- Study of Pembrolizumab Given Prior to Surgery and in Combination With Radiotherapy Given Post-surgery for Advanced Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (MK-3475-689) — La Jolla, California
- Dose Finding Study of Zanzalintinib With Pembrolizumab and Cetuximab in Head and Neck SCC — Chicago, Illinois
- Molecular and Genomic Profiling of Head and Neck Tumors — The Bronx, New York
- EMST in Patients Undergoing CRT for HNCA — Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Head and Neck Cancer Study Project in the Geriatric Population — Providence, Rhode Island
Explore by condition: All Head and Neck Neoplasms clinical trials
💡 How to Participate
- Check the checklist above to see if you may qualify.
- Contact the study coordinator using the phone/email above.
- Ask about the visit schedule, what is covered at no cost, and any travel support.
- Confirm with your own doctor before making a decision.