Dean’s Health Disparity Research Award Winner
Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second leading cause of cancer death in American men. Several studies have shown higher mortality rates among African American and Hispanic men relative to White men. Lower screening rates in ethnic minorities, along with poor access to treatment resources, medical information, high quality of care, new imaging modalities, and clinical trial recruitments have all been attributed to poor PCa care. Sentiments of fear, mistrust, and limited patient involvement in treatment decision-making have also played important roles in the discrepancies. Decision navigation interventions (DNI) have successfully been established in PCa as a means to improve patient-enhanced care.
The Prostate Cancer Health Impact Program (pCHIP) evaluates decision navigation (DNI) and shared decision making to guide African American and Hispanic/Latino patients in their healthcare decisions after being diagnosed with prostate cancer. We want to make sure that you are in control of your cancer care. To do so, we have created a collaborative process that allows patients and their providers to make health care decisions together, taking into account the best scientific evidence available, as well as the patient's values and preferences.
We are now extending this project as a phase II study to implement a community-based DNI to target men who are eligible for PCa screening to determine if community-based intervention enhances screening rates among ethnic minorities. We are also implementing a prospective clinical trial among established PCa patients who will be randomized two one of two DNI arms (a simple survey introduced by the care provider vs. a personalized trained navigator session) to determine which one has the best self-reported outcomes.
Publications and Presentations:
Decision-making support among racial and ethnic minorities diagnosed with breast or prostate cancer: A systematic review of the literature. DeRosa A.P., et al.