Assessing the context within academic health institutions toward improving equity-based, community and patient-engaged research.

Introduction: The continued momentum toward equity-based, patient/community-engaged research (P/CenR) is pushing health sciences to embrace principles of community-based participatory research. Much of this progress has hinged on individual patient/community-academic partnered research projects and partnerships with minimal institutional support from their academic health institutions.

Methods: We partnered with three academic health institutions and used mixed methods (i.

Leveraging human-centered design and causal pathway diagramming toward enhanced specification and development of innovative implementation strategies: a case example of an outreach tool to address racial inequities in breast cancer screening.

Background: Implementation strategies are strategies to improve uptake of evidence-based practices or interventions and are essential to implementation science. Developing or tailoring implementation strategies may benefit from integrating approaches from other disciplines; yet current guidance on how to effectively incorporate methods from other disciplines to develop and refine innovative implementation strategies is limited. We describe an approach that combines community-engaged methods, human-centered design (HCD) methods, and causal pathway diagramming (CPD)-an implementation science tool to map an implementation strategy as it is intended to work-to develop innovative implementation strategies.

Study Protocol for the Social Interventions for Support During Treatment for Endometrial Cancer and Recurrence (SISTER) study: a community engaged national randomized trial.

Social isolation in cancer patients is correlated with prognosis and is a potential mediator of treatment completion. Black women with endometrial cancer (EC) are at increased risk for social isolation when compared with White patients. We developed the Social Interventions for Support during Treatment for Endometrial Cancer and Recurrence (SISTER) study to compare and evaluate interventions to address social isolation among Black women with high-risk EC in USA.

The Integration of Value Assessment and Social Network Methods for Breast Health Navigation Among African Americans.

Objectives: A major strategy to reduce the impact of breast cancer (BC) among African Americans (AA) is patient navigation, defined here as individualized assistance for reducing barriers to healthcare use. The primary focus of this study was to estimate the added value of incorporating breast health promotion by navigated participants and the subsequent BC screenings that network members may obtain.

Methods: In this study, we compared the cost-effectiveness of navigation across 2 scenarios.

Increasing Racial and Ethnic Diversity in Cancer Clinical Trials: An American Society of Clinical Oncology and Association of Community Cancer Centers Joint Research Statement.

A concerted commitment across research stakeholders is necessary to increase equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) and address barriers to cancer clinical trial recruitment and participation. Racial and ethnic diversity among trial participants is key to understanding intrinsic and extrinsic factors that may affect patient response to cancer treatments. This ASCO and Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC) Research Statement presents specific recommendations and strategies for the research community to improve EDI in cancer clinical trials.

"We Are a Powerful Movement": Evaluation of an Endometrial Cancer Education Program for Black Women.

Background: U.S. Black women with endometrial cancer (EC) have a 90% higher mortality rate than White women, driven in part by advanced stage at diagnosis.

Assessment of Prediagnostic Experiences of Black Women With Endometrial Cancer in the United States.

Importance: Black women with endometrial cancer have a 90% higher mortality rate than white women with endometrial cancer. The advanced disease stage at which black women receive a diagnosis of endometrial cancer is a major factor in this disparity and is not explained by differences in health care access.

Objective: To describe the prediagnostic experiences of symptoms and symptom disclosure among black women with endometrial cancer.

Oncology provider and African-American breast cancer survivor perceptions of the emotional experience of transitioning to survivorship.

Purpose: To examine the emotional experience of African American breast cancer survivors (BCS), and the information exchange between providers and patients, during transitioning to post-treatment survivorship.

Research Approach: We conducted a qualitative study using interviews and focus groups.

Participants: We sought perspectives of oncology providers (n = 27) and African-American breast cancer survivors (BCS) (n = 45) who provided and received care in three counties in Washington State.

Seeking Black Women's Voices in Endometrial Cancer Research via Deliberate Community Engagement.

Background: Black women with endometrial cancer (EC) are diagnosed at advanced stages and have markedly high mortality rates compared with women of other races. EC disparities research lacks both qualitative work and engagement of Black women. We sought to describe developing a community-research partnership to examine EC among Black women.

Community Empowerment Partners (CEPs): A Breast Health Education Program for African-American Women.

Peer educators have been shown to provide effective interventions in breast cancer screening. Few studies have compared the effects of peer education on breast cancer knowledge among peer educators and the community members who are subsequently reached through the peer education. Further, little is known as to whether those who received the education then go on to educate others in the community.

Ethnic differences in social support after initial receipt of an abnormal mammogram.

Objectives: We examine access to and type of social support after initial receipt of an abnormal mammogram across non-Latina White (NLW), African American, and Latina women.

Method: This cross-sectional study used a mixed method design, with quantitative and qualitative measures. Women were recruited through 2 community advocates and 3 breast-health-related care organizations.

Medical advocacy among African-American women diagnosed with breast cancer: from recipient to resource.

Purpose: Medical advocacy at multiple levels (self, community/interpersonal, national/public health interest) may be helpful to address the disproportionate burden of breast cancer African-American women encounter. Little, however, is known about the interplay of medical advocacy at different levels.

Methods: We analyzed qualitative data from two studies focused on the psychosocial experiences of breast cancer among 38 African-American women living in Western Washington State.

Medical Advocacy and Supportive Environments for African-Americans Following Abnormal Mammograms.

African-American women experience disproportionately adverse outcomes relative to non-Latina White women after an abnormal mammogram result. Research has suggested medical advocacy and staff support may improve outcomes among this population. The purpose of the study was to understand reasons African-American women believe medical advocacy to be important and examine if and how staff can encourage and be supportive of medical advocacy.