News

POLARIS HEALTH DIRECTIONS AWARDED ONCOLOGY GRANT
October 10, 2006

Polaris Health Directions is pleased to announce that we have received a Phase I award from the National Institutes of Health to develop the Mental Health Assessment and Dynamic Referral for Oncology Patients system in conjunction with Cooper University Hospital in Camden, New Jersey.

The system will enable oncology treatment teams to screen for and monitor mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety; cancer-related symptoms such as pain and fatigue; quality of life; and adherence with treatment recommendations.  Patients will complete the assessments periodically during critical stages of their treatment using a PC, a portable device (e.g., laptop PC, tablet PC, PDA), or over the Internet.  A summary report describing the patient’s psychosocial status, risk for non-adherence, need for mental health treatment, and/or desire for psychosocial support services will be made immediately available to oncology providers. 

The most innovative facet of the system is the introduction of a fully-automated dynamic mental health referral for patients interested in mental health treatment services or psychosocial support.  Treatment-relevant information about the patient will be electronically transmitted to a third-party provider, with the patient’s permission. The dynamic referral system facilitates and increases engagement for patients needing extra support.

The grant is awarded by the NIH under the Small Business Innovative Research program. The Principal Investigator is Dr. Edwin Boudreaux. Dr. Sherrill Lord will serve as Project Manager.