Improving Care Delivery for Patients With Mental Illness and Cancer Across a Cancer Center Network (BRIDGE-NET)

July 15, 2026 updated by: Kelly Edwards Irwin, Massachusetts General Hospital

Improving Care Delivery for Individuals With Mental Illness and Cancer Across a Cancer Center Network: A Randomized Trial

The proposed project is an implementation-effectiveness randomized trial of a person-centered collaborative care model for patients with serious mental illness and new cancer. The BRIDGE NET intervention is theoretically informed, pragmatic, and delivered virtually by an interdisciplinary team and includes early psychiatry consultation, integrated oncology and mental health treatment planning and regular patient outreach to adddress barriers to care. The BRIDGE NET intervention addresses the unique needs of patients with mental illness and cancer. To increase the reach of specialty cancer and mental health care, there is a critical need for interventions that can be delivered virtually. This work has can inform the standard of care for patients with serious mental illness and cancer and lay the groundwork for future multi--site trials.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet recruiting

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.

Detailed Description

This is a hybrid type I effectiveness-implementation randomized trial to evaluate the efficacy of the BRIDGE NET intervention. The proposed project addresses multiple modifiable disparities in cancer treatment and outcomes for a marginalized population of adults with SMI, who experience inequities in cancer treatment. The BRIDGE NET intervention is theoretically informed, pragmatic, and able to be delivered virtually by a diverse clinical team. Informed by qualitative interviews with clinicians and collaboration with a community advisory board, the investigators rigorously developed, piloted and tested the BRIDGE NET intervention and tailored the approach to the unique needs of patients with SMI and cancer. To increase the reach of specialty care and the limited mental health workforce, there is a critical need for interventions that can be delivered virtually. This work has potential to be foundational for future multi-site trials across national community oncology research networks.

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 (Estimated)

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.
248

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.
  • Not Applicable

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.
  • Name: Kelly Irwin, MD, MPH
  • Phone Number: 617-726-2000
  • Email: kirwin1@mgb.org

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:

  1. be ≥18 years
  2. have a prior diagnosis of SMI, defined as schizophrenia spectrum disorder, bipolar disorder, or major depressive disorder with previous psychiatric hospitalization
  3. have a new primary diagnosis of invasive breast, head/neck, gastrointestinal (GI), genitourinary (GU), thoracic, or gynecological cancers that can be treated with curative intent
  4. be within 8 weeks of initial oncology consultation at or referral to a community cancer affiliate site of the Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute at MGH
  5. be able to read and write in English, Spanish, or Portuguese

Exclusion Criteria:

-

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: Supportive Care
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

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.
Active Comparator: BRIDGE NET Intervention Arm
BRIDGE NET is a 24-week person-centered collaborative care intervention that engages a multidisciplinary team to improve cancer outcomes for patients with SMI and new cancers.
Other: BRIDGE NET
BRIDGE is a 24-week person-centered collaborative care intervention that engages a multidisciplinary team to improve cancer outcomes for patients with SMI and new cancers. Modules include Evaluation, Treatment Planning, Weekly Outreach, Biweekly Outreach, and Transition Planning.
No Intervention: Enhanced Usual Care Arm
EUC includes proactive identification of patients with SMI and a new cancer diagnosis, sending a templated email to the oncologist describing the patient's primary psychiatric diagnosis (e.g. schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depression), and informing the patient of psychosocial services.

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
Cancer Care Disruption
Time Frame: 24 weeks
Primary outcome is the proportion of patients who experience clinically relevant disruptions (at least one delay to cancer treatment initiation, deviation from stage-appropriate cancer treatment, or interruption in planned treatment) within 24 weeks of study enrollment.
24 weeks

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
Time to cancer treatment initiation
Time Frame: Up to 24 weeks
Study staff will assess time to cancer treatment (interval from initial oncology consultation to cancer treatment initiation).
Up to 24 weeks
Depression (PHQ-9)
Time Frame: Baseline, 6 weeks, 12 weeks, 24 weeks
The PHQ-9 (Patient Health Questionnaire-9) is a standardized, 9-item self-report tool used by healthcare providers to screen for, diagnose, and measure the severity of depression. Higher score indicates more severe depression symptoms (minimum 0, maxiumum 27).
Baseline, 6 weeks, 12 weeks, 24 weeks
Anxiety (GAD-7)
Time Frame: Baseline, 6 weeks, 12 weeks, 24 weeks
The GAD-7 (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7) is a brief 7-item questionnaire used by healthcare providers to screen for Generalized Anxiety Disorder and measure the severity of anxiety symptoms. Higher scores indicate higher anxiety symptoms. (Minimum score 0, Maximum score 21).
Baseline, 6 weeks, 12 weeks, 24 weeks

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.
Massachusetts General Hospital

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
National Cancer Institute (NCI)

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 (Estimated)

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.
November 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

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.
January 31, 2030

Study Completion (Estimated)

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.
July 31, 2030

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).
July 6, 2026

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.
July 15, 2026

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.
July 16, 2026

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.
July 16, 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.
July 15, 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.
July 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

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.
  • R37CA300110 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

If the results of this research study are published in a medical journal, they will not identify individual patients in the interest of protecting patient privacy and confidentiality.

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.

Clinical Trials on Cancer

Clinical Trials on BRIDGE NET

Search Similar Trials

Sponsors and Collaborators

Medical Conditions

Drug Interventions

Conditions

Rare Diseases

Drug Interventions

Dietary Supplements

Sponsor/Collaborators

Locations

Cookie Settings

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. For more details carefully read our Privacy and Cookies Policy. ...>>>You can change your preferences or withdraw your consent at any time by deleting the cookies from your website or computer as described in the policy. Please accept it and choose your preferences by ticking the corresponding boxes in the "Manage Settings" section below. Please carefully read our Terms of Service before you proceed with using any part of this website.
«Manage Settings