Abstract A032: Collaborative work groups – authentic community collaboration to reduce Wisconsin’s breast and lung cancer disparities
Authors: Young Staci , Frazer David , Meister Tim , Cawthra Tobi , Pinsoneault Laura , Proctor Jada , Taebel Kailey , Fairfield Felicia , Piehowski Claire , Stolley Melinda 
Published: December 2023

Authentic community collaboration creates space for a deeper understanding between researchers and community partners and is critical to solving cancer disparities. Collaborative Work Groups (CWG), a program of the Community Cancer Science Network (CCSN) at the Medical College of Wisconsin Cancer Center, brings researchers and community partners in collaboration to address breast and lung cancer disparities statewide using a transdisciplinary approach to understand cancer disparities and create solutions that are grounded in three principles: deep equity, systems thinking, and an integration of biology-to-policy perspectives. CWGs have been actively engaged since the Spring of 2022 in several Wisconsin communities working to uncover the complex factors that drive breast and lung cancer disparities at the local level. Guided by a human-centered design process, the groups are defining the local scope of the problem, integrating diverse perspectives into root cause analyses, and designing solutions that will target the disparities. As part of data gathering to inform community level priorities, three CWGs collaborated to host a World Café event, a methodology for facilitating a large group dialogue, focused on breast cancer disparities. The CWGs invited community members, breast cancer survivors and co-survivors, health care providers, allied health professionals, and breast cancer advocacy organizations from three different counties to attend. Approximately 80 attendees gathered at small tables centered around various topics associated with breast cancer disparities including mammography access and process, social factors, co-morbidities, screening, insurance, and treatment. At each table, attendees discussed the topic and recorded their thoughts on a large notepad, and after 20 minutes switched to a different topic table and added on to previous contributions. Following the three rounds, a representative of each table reported the findings to the entire group. A graphic recorder captured the discussion, table notes were preserved, and attendees provided feedback on the meeting. Open coding validated the graphic recorder. Results of the World Café provided CWGs with data on community priorities. The meeting demonstrated two key values of the CWG: reliance on transdisciplinary relationships to nurture collaboration and the prioritization of building capacity with the community to lead local efforts to improve health outcomes. This dynamic was exemplified as staff of local community organizations were involved at every level of the event, including conceptualization, planning, facilitation, and evaluation. A World Café event is an effective methodology for collecting robust data on solutions for multi-county efforts. CWGs can contribute to eliminating cancer disparities in communities through a human centered design process that integrates diverse sectors with knowledge of biology, behavior, and the socio-cultural and physical environments, and creates an equitable voice for all participants to contribute to designing viable solutions. 

Citation Format: Staci Young, David Frazer, Tim Meister, Tobi Cawthra, Laura Pinsoneault, Jada Proctor, Kailey Taebel, Felicia Fairfield, Claire Piehowski, Melinda Stolley. Collaborative work groups – authentic community collaboration to reduce Wisconsin’s breast and lung cancer disparities [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 16th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2023 Sep 29-Oct 2;Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2023;32(12 Suppl):Abstract nr A032.