The Seattle Cancer Care Alliance awarded the Ben Greer Research Award to Jesse Fann, MD, MPH (Director of Psychiatry and Psychology at SCCA), and Dean Putt, MBA (Director of Olympic Medical Cancer Center in Sequim, WA) to conduct a pilot study using technology to optimize collaborative care management of depression in urban and rural cancer centers. The award is intended to support the development of a clinical trial by a Cancer Consortium investigator working in collaboration with an SCCA Network investigator addressing a research question of specific interest to community oncologists. Dr. Fann will be working with colleagues in psychiatry, computer science and engineering, human-centered design and engineering, medical oncology and social work.

The team will use a human-centered design approach to develop, build, and test a web and mobile platform to enhance the implementation and fidelity of the collaborative care model of depression for patients treated at SCCA and three Network sites.

Up to 25% of people with cancer become clinically depressed, significantly affecting their quality of life and functioning, yet about 75% of cancer patients with depression do not receive adequate treatment. Patients in rural settings are even less likely to receive adequate treatment. The overall objective of this research is to improve the treatment of depression in cancer patients.