Information Architects: Using Community-Engaged and Qualitative Methods to Design a Technology-Based Nutrition and Cancer Risk Intervention for Rural Adults.

Background: Nearly half of all cancer deaths are preventable through modification or avoidance of key risk factors. As such, there is a growing urgency to identify effective, low-resource, and scalable technologies that support clinical care and patient self-management of health behaviors.

Purpose: Informed by theories of cognitive load and user-centered design approaches, we develop a culturally tailored, multicomponent digital intervention to engage rural adults between 50-73 years old with their personalized nutrition risk factors for colorectal cancer (CRC) prevention.

Rural adults' perceptions of nutrition recommendations for cancer prevention: Contradictory and conflicting messages.

Despite robust evidence linking alcohol, processed meat, and red meat to colorectal cancer (CRC), public awareness of nutrition recommendations for CRC prevention is low. Marginalized populations, including those in rural areas, experience high CRC burden and may benefit from culturally tailored health information technologies. This study explored perceptions of web-based health messages iteratively in focus groups and interviews with 48 adults as part of a CRC prevention intervention.

Can virtual human clinicians help close the gap in colorectal cancer screening for rural adults in the United States? The influence of rural identity on perceptions of virtual human clinicians.

Rural adults experience disparities in colorectal cancer screening, a trend even more distinct among rural Black adults. Healthcare disruptions caused by COVID-19 exacerbated inequities, heightening attention on virtual communication strategies to increase screening. Yet little is known about how rural adults perceive virtual human clinicians (VHCs).

What did the pandemic teach us about effective health communication? Unpacking the COVID-19 infodemic.

Background: The spread of unvetted scientific information about COVID-19 presents a significant challenge to public health, adding to the urgency for increased understanding of COVID-19 information-seeking preferences that will allow for the delivery of evidence-based health communication. This study examined factors associated with COVID-19 information-seeking behavior.

Methods: An online survey was conducted with US adults (N = 1800) to identify key interpersonal (e.

Do they speak like me? Exploring how perceptions of linguistic difference may influence patient perceptions of healthcare providers.

The increased utilization of telehealth has provided patients with the opportunity to interact with racially diverse healthcare providers (HCPs). While evidence of racial stereotypes in healthcare is well documented, less is known about whether linguistic cues increase or decrease racial bias in healthcare interactions. The purpose of this pilot study was to use virtual clinicians (VCs) to examine how varying linguistic features affect patient perceptions of Black-identifying HCPs.

Telehealth and racial disparities in colorectal cancer screening: A pilot study of how virtual clinician characteristics influence screening intentions.

Introduction: Racial disparities in colorectal cancer (CRC) can be addressed through increased adherence to screening guidelines. In real-life encounters, patients may be more willing to follow screening recommendations delivered by a race concordant clinician. The growth of telehealth to deliver care provides an opportunity to explore whether these effects translate to a virtual setting.

Development of a Credible Virtual Clinician Promoting Colorectal Cancer Screening via Telehealth Apps for and by Black Men: Qualitative Study.

Background: Traditionally, promotion of colorectal cancer (CRC) screening among Black men was delivered by community health workers, patient navigators, and decision aids (printed text or video media) at clinics and in the community setting. A novel approach to increase CRC screening of Black men includes developing and utilizing a patient-centered, tailored message delivered via virtual human technology in the privacy of one's home.

Objective: The objective of this study was to incorporate the perceptions of Black men in the development of a virtual clinician (VC) designed to deliver precision messages promoting the fecal immunochemical test (FIT) kit for CRC screening among Black men in a future clinical trial.