ConnectedNest: a Digital Platform Connecting Individuals With Cancer to Social Care

September 9, 2026 updated by: University of Minnesota
Social determinants of health (SDoH) such as housing instability, food insecurity, and financial burden largely shape the health and well-being of individuals, create health inequities, and drive a large portion of avoidable adverse health outcomes and healthcare costs. With new advancements in treatment and rising out-of-pocket expenses, individuals facing cancer are especially vulnerable to the adverse effects of SDoH. To address these barriers, a novel solution is needed to support oncology patients, clinical teams, and community-based organizations (CBOs) across the cancer continuum. In a Phase I contract award, XanthosHealth developed ConnectedNest, a novel electronic social care referral platform to screen for SDoH needs and connect individuals with cancer to social and community services provided by CBOs while engaging the oncology team in the SDoH referral process. Through additional funding, a pilot study was completed in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in partnership with Minnesota Cancer Alliance, involving the collaboration of 14 CBOs focused on cancer. 50 cancer survivors from these CBOs were enrolled to utilize the ConnectedNest platform for a 90-day duration. Our study involved the collection and analysis of crucial metrics related to patient and CBO engagement, SDoH needs, and the volume of feasible social care referrals. In Phase II, the technical features and integration capabilities of ConnectedNest will be enhanced based on learnings in Phase I and completed pilot study. The platform will be implemented and tested among patients seen at multiple oncology clinics, evaluating health outcomes of patients who use the platform.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
400

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Phase 2

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Minnesota
      • Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, 55455
        • University of Minnesota

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Adults, age 18 and over
  • undergoing active cancer therapy or in survivorship
  • must be able to read and write in English
  • Seen in a participating Minnesota oncology clinic

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Children

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Health Services Research
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: ConnectedNest adults
adults undergoing active cancer therapy or in cancer survivorship seen in multi-site oncology practices randomized to receive ConnectedNest
Other: ConnectedNest
Participants will receive a secure message to register and download ConnectedNest's patient app, EmpowerNest. They will be asked to complete a set of modules at baseline through ConnectedNest to understand their health related social needs and programs available to meet those needs. They will receive basic training on the functionality and services available within the app and asked to use the app to identify and connect with needed social and community services for 90 days. Participants will be directed to complete a survey at baseline, 30, 60, and 90 days to collect patient-reported outcomes.
Active Comparator: Standard of care adults
adults undergoing active cancer therapy or in cancer survivorship seen in multi-site oncology practices randomized to receive standard of care
Other: Standard of care
Participants will be directed to complete a survey at baseline, 30, 60 and 90 days to collect patient-reported demographics, cancer characteristics and outcomes metrics

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Number of Self-Reported Social Needs
Time Frame: Day 90
change in the number of reported social needs from baseline (time of randomization) to day 90 after enrollment using the validated Accountable Health Communities Health-related social needs screening tool.
Day 90
Change in Number of Reported Social Needs That Are Partially or Completely Met
Time Frame: Day 90
change in the number of reported social needs that are partially or completely met from baseline (time of randomization) to day 90 after enrollment using the validated Accountable Health Communities Health-related social needs screening tool.
Day 90

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Number of Connections With Social and Community Services
Time Frame: Day 90
Change in the number of reported connections with social and community services from baseline (time of randomization) to day 90 after enrollment
Day 90
Change in Distress as Assessed by the NCCN Distress Thermometer
Time Frame: Day 90
Change in self-reported levels of distress using the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) distress thermometer from baseline (time of randomization) to day 90 after enrollment
Day 90
Change in Satisfaction With Care as Assessed by the Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire
Time Frame: Day 90
Change in self-reported satisfaction with care from baseline (time of randomization) to day 90 after enrollment using the Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire
Day 90
Change in Quality of Life as Assessed by the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General
Time Frame: Day 90
Change in self-reported quality of life from baseline (time of randomization) to day 90 after enrollment using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Survey-General
Day 90

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University of Minnesota

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Helen Parsons, PhD, University of Minnesota

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
June 12, 2025

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
August 31, 2026

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
August 31, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
August 15, 2024

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
August 16, 2024

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
August 19, 2024

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
September 10, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
September 9, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
September 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 2024LS102

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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