Partnership to Reduce Cancer Disparities in Spanish Speakers
Creators: name: University Of California Office Of The President
Publisher: name: University of California Office of the President
publisherIdentifier: https://ror.org/00dmfq477
publisherIdentifierScheme: ROR
Year: 2024

description: Latina women often do not have access to the breast cancer education and support available in more affluent communities. Lay Health Workers (LHWs) are widely used in community clinics as a valuable link between the health care system and the Latino community. For breast cancer control, LHWs provide general education, outreach for screening, navigation for follow-up of abnormal tests and for cancer treatment, and outreach for cancer support. Our study seeks to design optimal LHW models to reduce breast cancer disparities for limited English proficiency Latina women by identifying and evaluating best practices in all aspects of breast cancer outreach, education and support.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 We propose an 18-month project in Alameda County to prepare for a three-year evaluation trial. The pilot study will answer these questions: for Latina women, what makes LHW breast cancer programs successful? how do LHW programs vary? what are the bases for these variations? what are the strengths and limitations of each? what are the most promising, important, and relevant strategies for Latina women? What are the key differences in need across the spectrum of breast cancer control (outreach for screening, navigation of abnormals/treatment), that affect the design of LHW interventions? What criteria should be applied in designing LHW interventions?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 In this pilot phase, we will identify the most promising
 
 LHW approaches in order to test them in a full CRC trial. We will interview the people who know the most about LHWs: directors of organizations who use LHWs, managers who supervise LHWs, LHWs themselves, and women from the community - both those who have and have not been served by LHWs. These interviews and analyses of the information that results will be conducted in accordance with qualitative research methods. Members of the Alameda Cty Latino Cancer Coalition will be trained to conduct interviews by UCSF researchers, and analyses will be conducted jointly. This systematic identification of key issues related to our research questions is called "formative research" and precedes an intervention trial. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Even though LHWs often play a central role in interventions to reduce breast cancer disparities, no one has studied them the way most other human service practices are evaluated, breaking them down into their component parts and testing alternative approaches. In addition, most LHW studies only look at main outcomes - for example, did screening or abnormal follow-up increase? We will also look at the impact on the organizations that use LHW models to determine which approaches are optimal for them (and thus more likely to be sustained). Lastly, we seek to increase the capacity of the organizations based in and trusted by the Latino community since they are best positioned to reduce the breast cancer burden in their community. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 The community is involved in three ways in this project. First, the community partners include representatives of all the clinics that serve Latinos in Alameda County (La Clinica de la Raza, Tiburcio Vasquez Health Center, Inc., Alta Bates/Summit Medical Center, Alameda County Medical Center) and other programs that provide breast cancer support and education to the Latino community (Women's Cancer Resource Center and the ACS). The impetus for the study came from this group. Second, we will convene and include in an expert panel representatives of other relevant organizations and community members; and third, we will interview LHWs and women from the community.