Improving oncology outcomes through scalable nutrition and navigation support.

103 Background: Nutrition support is a critical but often overlooked aspect of oncology care, especially in underserved populations facing financial hardship, food insecurity, and treatment fatigue. In response, Mays Cancer Center implemented a remote nutrition program in partnership with Agilix Health, supported by an American Cancer Society (ACS) navigation capacity-building grant (2022–2024). This program aimed to reduce care gaps and improve treatment compliance and outcomes by integrating remote dietitian services, grocery assistance, and dedicated nurse navigation into standard oncology workflows. Methods: Patients undergoing cancer treatment were referred to the program by oncology and hematology providers and received weekly virtual consultations with registered dietitians, along with a $200 Uber Health grocery credit. In September 2024, a full-time nurse navigator was added to oversee referrals, perform patient outreach, identify social barriers using the NCCN Distress Thermometer, and connect patients with social services. Patient engagement, no-show rates, and treatment compliance including ER visits were tracked pre- and post-intervention. Results: Some of the major barriers to care we observed included financial and food insecurity, patient compliance issues due to treatment burden, and appointment fatigue. These barriers were addressed by our nurse navigator through daily outreach to oncology staff via brief in-person updates and informational flyers, regular patient follow-ups, and data tracking (including referral volume, patient participation, and no-show rates). The nurse navigator also connected patients with community resources and social services for additional support that was needed. Referrals increased from 7/month (pre-navigation) to 40/month post-navigation (+471%). Total referrals reached 306, with 197 patients enrolled, exceeding the target goal of 150. Of those enrolled, 41% were participating in clinical trials, 55% were receiving standard of care treatment, and 4% were in survivorship. Provider participation grew by 115% (13 in September → 28 in December). No-show rates declined from 52% to 23%. Treatment compliance improved from 48% to 53%. Conclusions: Remote nutrition support, combined with dedicated navigation and short-term financial assistance, significantly enhanced patient engagement and care outcomes. Multidisciplinary collaboration across oncology teams, social work, and dietitians was essential to success. This program highlights how addressing barriers like food insecurity and access through nurse navigation and remote nutrition can lead to meaningful improvements in patient engagement and treatment adherence. It offers a scalable, patient-centered model that can be integrated into oncology care at other institutions.