Pilot Feasibility of the Pediatric Cancer Resource Equity (PediCARE) Intervention
Trial Description
The goal of this new intervention is to make it easier for families to meet their basic
household needs during childhood cancer treatment. The investigators want to learn how to
best use PediCARE to help care for families.
Eligibility Requirements
Inclusion Criteria:
- Child newly diagnosed with cancer within 2 months;
- Planned receipt of at least 4 cycles of chemotherapy at DFCI or UAB;
- Parent/guardian screened positive for HMH*;
- Child is <18 years at time of enrollment
- In accordance with previous research1 families will be operationalized as having HMH
for eligibility purposes if they report at least one of the below four concrete
needs assessed during routine clinical care as follows:
- Food insecurity.
- Housing Insecurity.
- Energy Insecurity.
- Transportation Insecurity.
HMH screening is performed as standard of care by site-specific psychosocial providers.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Child with diagnosis of relapsed cancer;
- Child planned to receive fewer than 4 cycles of chemotherapy
- Child planned to receive observation, radiation or surgical resection only;
- Planned transfer of child to a non-DFCI or UAB facility for chemotherapy treatment;
- Foreign national family receiving cancer care as an Embassy-pay patient;
- Child is enrolled on DFCI 16-001 (due to ongoing embedded descriptive HMH study)