Increasing access to palliative care for patients with advanced cancer of African and Latin American descent: a patient-oriented community-based study protocol.

Background: Cancer disparities are a major public health concern in Canada, affecting racialized communities of Latin American and African descent, among others. This is evident in lower screening rates, lower access to curative, and palliative-intent treatments, higher rates of late cancer diagnoses and lower survival rates than the general Canadian population. We will develop an Access to Palliative Care Strategy informed by health equity and patient-oriented research principles to accelerate care improvements for patients with advanced cancer of African and Latin American descent.

Experiences with latent TB cascade of care strengthening for household contacts in Calgary, Canada.

Setting: Identification, assessment, and treatment of latent TB infection (LTBI), collectively known as the LTBI cascade of care, is critical for TB prevention.

Objective: The objective of this research, conducted within the ACT4 trial, was to assess and strengthen the LTBI cascade of care for household contacts at Calgary TB Services, a clinic serving a predominately foreign-born population in Western Canada.

Design: Baseline assessment consisted of a retrospective LTBI cascade analysis of 32 contact investigations, and questionnaires administered to patients and health care workers.