Research Brief
Introducing the Research Brief
Download Printable Version of Research Brief 2025-1
The Kansas Center for Rural Research Committee is excited to launch this new Research Brief series to spotlight research happening with and within rural Kansas communities. Each issue will highlight projects that aim to improve the health, healthcare delivery, and equity in rural areas. Research Briefs will feature the voices of local providers, patients, and researchers, working together to solve real-world challenges. Our goal is to share what’s being learned, celebrate efforts of rural clinics and partners and spark ideas for future collaboration.
KU faculty, staff, and partners committed to advancing rural health may be eligible to become members of a Kansas Center for Rural Health Committee and collaborate to improve care in rural communities.
KanSurvive: Improving Cancer Survivorship Care in Rural Kansas
KanSurvive is a research project that teamed up with primary care clinics in Kansas to improve the delivery of cancer survivorship care. Most cancer survivors in Kansas receive their care from their primary care provider but many rural clinics don’t have the tools or support they need to give this care in line with national guidelines. To help, the KanSurvive team, led by Drs. Allen Greiner and Jennifer Klemp, delivered a series of virtual training sessions through Project ECHO (a tele-mentoring program) and offered hands-on quality improvement support to rural clinics. Together, they worked on better tracking, documentation, and follow-up care for survivors of breast, colorectal, lung, and prostate cancer, the most common cancers that occur in Kansas.
KanSurvive Findings
Interested in how KanSurvive 2.0 can help your practice?
Twelve Kansas primary care clinics joined the program, identifying more than 250 cancer survivors across the study period. Even during the challenges of COVID-19, clinics stayed engaged.
Providers and staff worked to improve care in areas like:
- Screening for depression and tobacco use
- Tracking family cancer history
- Making sure patients got the right cancer
follow-up tests
One big improvement
After the program, documentation of family cancer history went up from 70% to 89%.
Why these findings matter
Rural cancer survivors are more likely to face health challenges after treatment and primary care providers are often their main source of care.
Next steps
The KanSurvive research team is using what was learned from KanSurvive to design even better support tools for rural clinics to care for cancer survivors. KanSurvive 2.0 will test virtual scribes services and a team-based approach to quality improvement.
Complete a practice interest form and a research team member will reach out.
Investigator Spotlight
Meet Dr. Jennifer Klemp and Dr. Allen Greiner, two dedicated researchers working to improve the lives of cancer survivors in rural communities.
Dr. Klemp, a nationally recognized leader in cancer survivorship and genetics, is known for championing patient centered care and partnering with primary care clinics to put research into practice.
Dr. Greiner is a family medicine physician and public health scientist respected for his ability to build strong, lasting partnerships with clinics and communities, making sure research is meaningful and responsive to local needs.
Together, they lead KanSurvive, designed to equip and support rural primary care teams to improve care for cancer survivors. Their work combines education, guidance, and a deep understanding of the realities rural clinics face every day.
Have questions about this research? Reach out!