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

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: Active, not recruiting
• Conditions: Cancer
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: ConnectedNest; Other: Standard of care

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 400
• Phase: Phase 2

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

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

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• 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

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
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

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Number of self-reported social needs	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
Reported social needs that are partially or completely met	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

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Number of connections with needed social and community services with needed social and community services	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
Quality of life	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
Satisfaction with Care	Change in self-reported satisfaction with care from baseline (time of randomization) to day 90 after enrollment using the Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire	Day 90

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Minnesota
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Helen Parsons, PhD, University of Minnesota

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): June 12, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): August 15, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): August 15, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: August 15, 2024
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 16, 2024
• First Posted (Actual): August 19, 2024

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 8, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 6, 2026
• Last Verified: May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Neoplasms; Health Services Administration; Health Care Quality, Access, and Evaluation; Quality of Health Care; Quality Indicators, Health Care; Standard of Care
• Other Study ID 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