Supplement: Effects of Comorbidity Management and Complex Care Coordination on Cancer Caregivers

PROJECT SUMMARY. The overarching goal of this Diversity Supplement is to prepare and launch Dr. Maria Lizette Rangel into an academic career as an independent scientist. Dr. Rangel is a behavioral scientist and post-doctoral research associate with a strong commitment to working with medically underserved cancer

patients, families, and communities. Through this Diversity Supplement, she will gain crucial training in cancer control research focusing on cancer caregiving, challenges of comorbidity management during/after cancer- directed treatment, and advanced statistical analysis. With an eye toward developing interventions to support

caregivers in managing patient comorbidities across the cancer control continuum, specific aims of this supplemental research are to: 1) Examine whether patient participation in the parent OPTIMISE (Oncology- Primary Care Partnership to Improve Comprehensive Survivorship Care) enhanced care pathway for comorbidity

management results in improved outcomes for caregivers in terms of lower levels of caregiver burden, distress, and financial hardship relative to usual medical care (UMC); 2) Describe the challenges that caregivers face in managing patient comorbidities during cancer-directed treatment; and, 3) Describe the challenges that

caregivers experience as the patient transitions from cancer-directed treatment to post-treatment survivorship. Dr. Rangel will achieve these aims by recruiting the caregivers of patients who are eligible and enrolled in the parent OPTIMISE trial and conducting a mixed-methods companion study using caregiver interview and survey

data. To supplement the research plan, career development goals include 1) gaining a foundational understanding of cancer control health equity research, 2) develop theoretical and conceptual knowledge in cancer caregiving research, 3) continue developing the methodological and analytical qualitative, quantitative,

and mixed methods skills required to conduct rigorous mixed methods research, and 4) acquire professional development skills to support a career as an independent investigator. Along with the valuable training and career development opportunities afforded through this supplement, the findings supported by Dr. Rangel’s

research will provide crucial data on the unmet needs of cancer caregivers and enable her to develop a competitive K99/R00 proposal to develop an intervention for caregivers of cancer patients with comorbidities and launch her career as an independent investigator.