HDRP Newsletter, July 2024

HDRP Events: Upcoming and Recap

HDRP continues to lead efforts that highlight scientific priorities for healthcare delivery research. Visit our News & Events page for a comprehensive listing of events. A recap of recent HDRP-led webinars and workshops is listed below. To view post-meeting materials, visit the HDRP website and relevant event links.

SEER-MHOS Webinar Series

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) supports a research resource linking Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) cancer registry data with Medicare Health Outcomes Survey (MHOS) data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. SEER-MHOS offers investigators the opportunity to examine cancer health outcomes, such as health-related quality of life and activities of daily living, along with clinical and epidemiologic information. This webinar series was intended for researchers at all levels interested in discovering more about the SEER-MHOS data resource.

Visit the SEER-MHOS webpage for more information about each webinar:

• Webinar 1, Understanding Social Risks with Neighborhood-level Data: Analysis Opportunities using the SEER-MHOS Data Resource (April 23, 2024)
• Webinar 2, SEER-MHOS Basics: How to Create Your Analytic Dataset (July 12, 2024)
• Upcoming Webinar 3, Using Medicare Advantage Enrollment Data in SEER-MHOS research projects (October 29)

Healthcare Teams 2024 Cyber Discussion Series

Advanced Practice Providers Across the Cancer Continuum: Insight & Opportunities from Healthcare Delivery Research

Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) have a critical and still changing role in the ever-evolving landscape of cancer care and research. To address key questions about APP practice regulations, team-based practice models, and high-quality evidence, the NCI has developed this two-part webinar series to engage subject matter experts in discussion of opportunities and gaps in healthcare delivery research. In cancer care, the inclusion of APPs on multidisciplinary teams brings a wealth of clinical experience, which complements the expertise of physicians and researchers. This series will highlight successful collaborations showcasing how APPs contribute to research and care methodologies. It will also identify unique challenges faced by APPs working at different phases of the cancer care continuum.

Visit the Healthcare Teams Cyber Discussion webpage for more information about each session:

• Session 1, Optimizing APP Integration into Multidisciplinary Cancer Care Teams (July 18, 2024)
• Upcoming Session 2, Advanced Practice Providers' Impact on Cancer Care Delivery: Bridging Research and Practice (November 21, 2024)

March 2024

• On March 7, 2024, HDRP hosted the final session of the 2023-2024 Cyber Discussion Series entitled, Patient and caregiver experiences navigating cancer care during emergencies. In this workshop, participants gained essential insights into managing cancer care during natural disasters and public health emergencies. Speakers discussed emergency preparedness for patients and healthcare providers, how to access critical healthcare services, and how to foster resilience in times of crisis. This session discovered practical strategies for continuity in cancer care and offered firsthand accounts from clinicians, patients and caregivers who have successfully navigated cancer care during an emergency.

April 2024

• On April 16-17, 2024, the NCI collaborated with various cancer centers across the U.S. to hold the Annual 2024 HPV Cancer Center Consortium in Lexington, Kentucky, hosted by the University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center. The meeting focused on healthcare system interventions, emerging research areas, understanding disparities in HPV vaccinations, and more.

May 2024

• On May 13, 2024, HDRP and the Behavioral Research Program co-led a pre-application webinar on the notice of special interest (NOSI) for Telehealth Research in Cancer Care. This funding opportunity highlighted interests in receiving investigator-initiated applications for proposing research on the use and impact of telehealth in cancer-related care, and the implications of telehealth policy changes on cancer care access, outcomes, and health equity. This webinar introduced the NOSI mechanism as well as behavioral and healthcare delivery research priorities surrounding patient-provider interactions, provider-provider interactions, and the impact of changes in telehealth policy on cancer care access, patient outcomes, and health equity.
• On May 17, 2024, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences (DCCPS) hosted a P01 Technical Assistance Webinar. HDRP’s Dr. Sarah Kobrin presented an informational webinar for investigators planning to submit a Research Program Project Grant (P01). P01 grants support integrated, multi-project research programs involving a team of independent investigators who share knowledge and common resources while working towards a unifying overall scientific goal. Every P01 program project proposed should have a well-defined unifying research theme. This webinar broadly discussed the submission process, scientific review criteria, and other logistical information related to P01s.

June 2024

• On June 21, 2024, HDRP and the Office of Cancer Survivorship co-led a Pre-application Webinar on “Addressing Barriers to Healthcare Transitions for Survivors of Childhood and Adolescent Cancers R01 Clinical Trial Optional). This webinar provided information about RFA-CA-24-027. The goal of this funding opportunity is to support the development and testing of interventions and strategies that promote high-quality transitional care and continued engagement of survivors of childhood and adolescent cancers to ensure these survivors receive appropriate surveillance and care into adulthood. This webinar introduced the notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) process, as well as addressed the studies and research elements that are within the scope of the NOFO.

Research Spotlight

SEER-Medicare Health Outcomes Survey (SEER-MHOS) Linked Data Resource

SEER-MHOS is a publicly available data resource linking verified cancer clinical data from NCI’s SEER program with data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Medicare Health Outcomes Survey (MHOS), which is administered to Medicare Advantage beneficiaries. NCI and CMS' partnership in this initiative is modeled on the SEER-Medicare Linked Data Resource. In both cases, CMS provides the Medicare beneficiary data and NCI provides the SEER data. NCI manages the SEER-MHOS data resource, but both agencies work together to update and improve the database over time.

SEER-MHOS contains clinical and initial treatment information for individuals diagnosed with cancer from SEER. The database also contains self-reported socioeconomic, demographic, co-morbidity, race/ethnicity, quality of life, and other information from the Medicare Health Outcomes Survey. The most recent SEER-MHOS linkage was completed in 2023. It contains data from 22 SEER registries. The data resource currently spans from 1998 through 2021. Additionally, over 900,000 survey respondents without cancer in the same geographic areas are included as non-cancer comparisons. The linked dataset provides a rich opportunity to research patient-centered health outcomes and quality of life of older adults diagnosed with cancer.

SEER-MHOS is an ideal resource for graduate students, post-docs, and fellows. Over the past 5 years, 44% of SEER-MHOS approved applications were for mentored (e.g., student/fellow) projects. If you have a mentee interested in learning more, view the recording of our most recent webinar entitled, “SEER-MHOS Basics: How to Create Your Analytic Dataset.” The NCI has also developed extensive documentation and guidance for investigators who are interested in learning about and working with the data, which is available through the SEER-MHOS website.

Below is a list of recent publications from mentored SEER-MHOS projects:

• Zheng et al. (2023). Health-related quality of life among prostate cancer survivors with metastatic disease and non-metastatic disease and men without a cancer history in the USA.
• Lee et al. (2023). Association between adjuvant radiation treatment and breast cancer-specific mortality among older women with comorbidity burden: A comparative effectiveness analysis of SEER-MHOS.

A full list of SEER-MHOS publications can be found on the website.

Policy Updates

Grants-related Information

Simplified Peer Review Process for Research Project Grants

The NIH is simplifying the peer review process by offering a framework aimed at improving how peer reviewers evaluate research program grant applications. Updates to the overall process were made in response to feedback from the external scientific community who responded to a Request for Information (RFI). A summary of the RFI and feedback can be found here (PDF).

The NIH Guide Notice (NOT-OD-24-085) provides an update on NIH’s implementation plans for the simplified review framework and offers guidance to applicants on navigating new and updated funding opportunities expected to be published between now and January 2025. For added information, please visit the NIH Grants & Funding page on Simplifying Review of Research Project Grant Applications. The NIH Office of Extramural Research also offers information on changes coming to applications and peer review in January 2025.

Grantsmanship Resources

HDRP offers a “one-stop-shop” of relevant links to help investigators learn more about NIH and NCI information and policies related to writing and submitting new, resubmission, late, and renewal grant applications.

Visit the Grantsmanship Resources page here.

NIH Policy for Data Management and Sharing (DMS)

The final NIH DMS Policy came into effect for any NIH-funded research that will generate scientific data, regardless of the research grant budget size. As a refresher, HDRP has compiled information from NIH on preparing DMS plans, research subject to the new NIH DMS Policy, and requesting and justifying costs for DMS. Information is available here:

• Data and Resource Management and Sharing Plans
• Grantsmanship Resources

Working closely with the NIH, the Federal Demonstration Partnership (FDP) – an association of federal agencies, research policy organizations, and academic research institutions – invites feedback from researchers by participating in a pilot of DMS plan templates. For more information, visit the NIH’s Extramural Nexus post and FDP website.

Announcements

DCCPS CONNECTS

DCCPS launched the Committee on NCI Extramural Communications Tools and Support (CONNECTS), to promote staff and investigator engagement and satisfaction with NCI/DCCPS grant-related communications and outreach policies, practices, and tools.

CONNECTS is primarily focused on:

• Developing methods to assess satisfaction and ways to improve DCCPS communication and dissemination on grants policy and practices by offering resources and tools for NCI-supported extramural investigators as well as Program Directors (PDs)/Analysts who communicate with grantees.
• Developing and optimizing new procedures, tools, and resources that respond to extramural scientists’ and PD’s feedback, e.g., CONNECTS Engagement Survey.
• Assessing satisfaction, eliciting feedback, and responding with changes to promote and maintain exceptional levels of engagement and customer service to meet the needs of both NCI’s investigator community and PDs.

CONNECTS has developed several resources that DCCPS staff can leverage to learn more about grant funding processes and mechanisms and broadly share funding information. They are designed to help address any questions that future and current grantees may have.

Please see below to access resources:

• Awaiting Receipt of Applications (ARAs) for Large-Budget Grant Applications
• How to Talk to an NCI Program Director to Begin Your Funding Application Preparation
• Investigator-Initiated or Unsolicited Administrative Supplements
• Key Contacts and Steps in the Grant Funding Process (PDF)
• Program Project Grant (P01) Process

For any questions or feedback about DCCPS CONNECTS, please email the HDRP Inbox.

HDRP Funding Opportunities

This section includes links to new highlighted NOFOs on healthcare delivery research published since the last edition of this newsletter. For a complete list of NOFOs, visit our funding opportunities webpage.

Data & Other Resources

HDRP supports the development and maintenance of a variety of data and tools that are available for research use. These resources can be used to address research questions at various points across the cancer control continuum. Below, we highlight a subset of the data resources available to the external research community.

To learn more about other data resources supported by HDRP, visit our data and other resources page.

Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS)

Conducted by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) is a nationally representative survey of the civilian noninstitutionalized population of all ages in the United States that collects comprehensive data on health care utilization and expenditures. The new MEPS Experience with Cancer Supplement will be administered later this year, collecting new information from cancer survivors. The data will be available for researchers in 2025.

Visit the MEPS website for more information.

Patterns of Care (POC) Studies

Patterns of Care (POC) Studies began in 1987 with SEER cases serving as controls for a study that examined the provision of state-of-the-art therapy in Community Clinical Oncology Program hospitals. POC data have enabled investigators to examine disparities in receipt of cancer therapies, diagnostic tests, and biomarkers by age, race/ethnicity, and residential urbanicity/rurality.

The new NCI POC study will start this month, collecting information from individuals diagnosed with prostate or ovarian cancer in 2021. Information will be collecting through medical record abstraction by individuals at participating SEER registries. The new POC study will include information on:

• Method of diagnosis,
• Patient and tumor characteristics,
• Cancer diagnostic and treatment patterns (including molecular marker testing and use of targeted therapies),
• Treating hospital characteristics,
• Clinical trial participation,
• Receipt of supportive/palliative care,
• Cancer recurrence/metastasis following diagnosis, and
• Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on diagnosis, treatment, palliative care, and patient financial status.

Visit the POC website for more information.

National Health Interview Survey (NHIS)

The National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) is a continuous, nationwide in-person survey of the civilian non-institutionalized population that serves as the main source of U.S. data on a broad range of health topics. The NHIS is conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and is administered by the U.S. Census Bureau. Information about the NHIS, including questionnaires, documentation, and datasets, is available on the NCHS-NHIS website. Below are updates on NHIS and NCHS activities:

• For 2022, data on cancer-related behaviors including diet and nutrition and tobacco use are publicly available for researchers’ use.
• NCHS has published a data brief featuring HPV coverage in U.S. children and adolescents ages 9 to 17 years.
• It is anticipated that the 2023 NHIS data release will occur in the early fall (August to September 2024). This round assessed several types of cancer screening use (colorectal, breast, prostate) and family history of cancer in the U.S. population.

HDRP News You Can Use!

Employment Opportunities

Associate Director, HDRP/DCCPS

In the coming months, the NCI will be seeking an innovative leader to serve as HDRP’s Associate Director (AD) who reports directly to the DCCPS Director. The HDRP AD coordinates the development and implementation of the mission of the HDRP to advance innovative research to improve the delivery of cancer-related care, thereby improving the health for individuals and populations. The AD establishes the scientific and strategic priorities for the program and advances the activities of three unique branches by allocating resources, staff, and assignments. The AD also oversees the Cancer Care Delivery Research (CCDR) arm of the NCI Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP), a national NCI-supported network that brings cancer prevention clinical trials and cancer care delivery research to people in their communities.

For those interested in learning more about this exciting opportunity, contact David Chambers, DPhil.

Training Opportunities

The training section of our website provides information on NIH/NCI-relevant opportunities. Visit to learn more about the Cancer Prevention Fellowship Program, the Presidential Management Fellows Program, as well as the Health Communications Internship Program.

NIH News You Can Use!

This newer section of the HDRP newsletter highlights resources from the NIH Office of Extramural Research’s Extramural Nexus. It is the extramural scientific research community’s source for news on grants policies, processes, and more.

See below for some news that may be relevant to you!

• Announcing Updates to NIH Institutional Training Grant Applications and Required Data Tables
• NIH Grants Process for Beginners: Webinar Resources Available
• Marking a Milestone: The Modernized ClinicalTrials.gov Becomes the Singular Website Experience
• Awarded R&D Contract Vendors May Be Asked To Submit Inclusion Data Directly Into NIH Systems
• NIH All About Grants Podcast: A Focus on Researchers With Disabilities
• Continued Support for Early Stage Investigators in FY 2023
• Speed Dating: Find Your Application Due Date
• Updated Resource for Who Can Do What in eRA Commons
• Prepare for Changes Coming to Institutional Training Grant Applications
• NIH All About Grants Podcast – Why Would NIH Withdraw an Application?

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