Background: As part of a pragmatic cluster-randomized trial for patients with cancer, we recruited representatives from each care setting and trained them to be practice facilitators ("Symptom Sages"). This mixed methods study evaluated barriers and facilitators individuals encountered in this role.
Methods: Symptom Sages were invited to complete a brief web-based survey and semi-structured interview, developed using constructs from the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) 2.
Electronic patient-reported outcome measures (ePROMs) can improve care for people with cancer, but effectiveness hinges on well-supported integration in clinical settings.We evaluated clinician use of specific clinical decision support (CDS) tools in the electronic health record (EHR) designed to facilitate timely, clinically appropriate responses to ePROM scores for six symptoms commonly experienced by cancer patients.The parent pragmatic trial, which took place at Mayo Clinic (Rochester, Minnesota, United States) and its affiliated community health care system between March 2019 and January 2023, evaluated the population-level effectiveness and implementation of an ePROM surveillance and EHR-facilitated collaborative care symptom management intervention.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Despite growing evidence to characterise cancer-associated cognitive decline (CACD) in women with breast cancer, interventions to mitigate CACD are limited. Emerging evidence suggests aerobic exercise may enhance cognition after breast cancer diagnosis and treatment; yet, CACD remains an understudied outcome of exercise, and few high-quality studies have been conducted. In addition to knowledge gaps in effectiveness, the translation of exercise interventions to community settings remains challenging.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAppl Clin Inform
May 2025
The Enhanced EHR-facilitated Cancer Symptom Control (E2C2) Trial is a pragmatic trial testing a collaborative care approach for managing common cancer symptoms. There were challenges in identifying cancer site and metastatic status.This study compares three different approaches to determine cancer site and six strategies for identifying the presence of metastasis using EHR and cancer registry data.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The Normalization MeAsure Development (NoMAD) questionnaire is used to assess implementation processes based on Normalization Process Theory (NPT). However, its psychometric properties have not been extensively evaluated. This study aimed to examine the factorial validity, internal consistency, and measurement invariance at both scale and item levels of the NoMAD across three hybrid effectiveness-implementation studies determining the impact of routine symptom surveillance and guideline-based symptom management interventions in ambulatory oncology care settings.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Laws mandating that women be informed of mammographic breast density (MBD) with their mammogram results may increase anxiety. We report on changes in self-reported levels of anxiety, worry about developing breast cancer (BC), as well as perceived risk of BC resulting from three MBD notification methods: usual care (mailed notification letter), enhanced care (usual care with MBD educational brochure), or interpersonal care (enhanced care with promotora education), among a Latina population.
Methods: A randomized controlled clinical trial of three MBD notifications was performed among Latina women aged 40 to 74 years receiving screening mammography at a federally qualified health center (FQHC).
Mayo Clin Proc
July 2025
Objective: To assess differences in cancer prevalence across the urban-rural continuum, which may help identify target areas for cancer treatment and prevention efforts.
Methods: We identified residents of a 27-county region of Minnesota and Wisconsin on January 1, 2020, using the Rochester Epidemiology Project. Rural-urban commuting area classifications were used to categorize addresses as urban core, large town, small town, or isolated rural.
Background: Transportation barriers significantly limit participation in breast cancer screening trials among Hispanic women, exacerbating disparities in breast cancer outcomes and underrepresentation in clinical research. Rideshare programs have emerged as a potential solution, but their long-term sustainability remains underexplored. Understanding sustainability capacity is critical to ensuring these programs can address structural barriers, promote health equity, and improve outcomes for underserved populations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLatinas with mammographic dense breasts are at increased risk of breast cancer. This randomized controlled trial tests the effectiveness of three breast density (BD) educational approaches on adherence to subsequent mammography screening among Latinas receiving care at a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC). Adherence was ascertained using electronic health record and survey responses.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAnn Palliat Med
January 2025
Background: Despite the plausible role for community health workers (CHWs) in supporting historically disenfranchised patients experiencing cancer-related pain, few survivorship care models currently include CHWs. The purpose of our study was to learn from existing CHWs regarding the feasibility of working with rural dwelling and/or Hispanic/Latino patients and their cancer care teams; as well as assessing their anticipated barriers and facilitators of delivering a proposed collaborative care pain intervention [Achieving Equity through SocioCulturally-informed, Digitally-Enabled Cancer Pain managemeNT (ASCENT)].
Methods: Guided by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) Research Framework, we recruited experienced CHWs to a mixed-methods feasibility study, including survey, interview and/or focus group.
Introduction: The ability of healthcare, community and public health systems to effectively implement and disseminate research innovations depends on contextual factors at multiple interconnected levels of influence (eg, the innovation, individual, provider/implementor, organisation and health system). Recently, there has been an increase in the development of complex interventions designed to target multiple levels, designed for or adapted to the context in which they are delivered. Two concepts from complex systems thinking have been increasingly used to operationalise such interventions-core functions (theory and evidence-driven purposes of interventions) and forms (adaptable activities that perform each core function).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJAMIA Open
October 2024
Purpose: The enhanced, electronic health record (EHR)-facilitated cancer symptom control (E2C2) trial is a cohort cluster-randomized, stepped-wedge, hybrid type II trial that leverages EHR systems to facilitate a collaborative care model (CCM) approach with the goal of improving cancer symptom management. Understanding factors that influence care team adoption of EHR systems remains a critical understudied area of research. This study examines how oncology care teams' perceptions regarding the feasibility, acceptability, and appropriateness of E2C2 EHR systems preimplementation were associated with adoption 3 months after implementation and characterizes differences in adoption by individual- and system-level factors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Breast imaging clinics in the United States (U.S.) are increasingly implementing breast cancer risk assessment (BCRA) to align with evolving guideline recommendations but with limited uptake of risk-reduction care.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Racial Ethn Health Disparities
April 2025
Background: Pragmatic trials may need to adapt interventions to enhance local fit, and adaptation tracking is critical to evaluation. This study describes the tracking approach for a multisite, stepped-wedge hybrid pragmatic trial testing implementation and effectiveness of a cancer symptom management intervention.
Methods: Study activities were documented in a spreadsheet by date and category.
Background: Systematic approaches are needed to accurately characterize the dynamic use of implementation strategies and how they change over time. We describe the development and preliminary evaluation of the Longitudinal Implementation Strategy Tracking System (LISTS), a novel methodology to document and characterize implementation strategies use over time.
Methods: The development and initial evaluation of the LISTS method was conducted within the Improving the Management of SymPtoms during And following Cancer Treatment (IMPACT) Research Consortium (supported by funding provided through the NCI Cancer Moonshot).
Importance: Despite availability of a safe and effective vaccine, an estimated 36 500 new cancers in the US result from human papillomavirus (HPV) annually. HPV vaccine uptake falls short of national public health goals and lags other adolescent vaccines.
Objective: To evaluate the individual and combined impact of 2 evidence-based interventions on HPV vaccination rates among 11- and 12-year-old children.
Purpose: Symptoms can negatively impact quality of life for patients with a history of cancer. Digital, electronic health record (EHR)-integrated approaches to routine symptom monitoring accompanied by evidence-based interventions for symptom management have been explored as a scalable way to improve symptom management, particularly between clinic visits. However, little research has evaluated barriers and facilitators to implementing these approaches in real-world settings, particularly during the pre-implementation phase.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Natl Cancer Inst
March 2024
Background: Electronic health record-linked portals may improve health-care quality for patients with cancer. Barriers to portal access and use undermine interventions that rely on portals to reduce cancer care disparities. This study examined portal access and persistence of portal use and associations with patient and structural factors before the implementation of 3 portal-based interventions within the Improving the Management of symPtoms during And following Cancer Treatment (IMPACT) Consortium.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCancer Causes Control
December 2023
This article highlights the importance of pausing and reflecting on one's motivation, capacity, and positionality when engaging in health equity research and encourages researchers to engage in critical self-reflection and contribute to the ongoing dialogue on the ethical conduct of health equity-focused cancer research. In response to the urgent need to address health disparities and improve health equity in cancer survivorship care, the Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network (CPCRN) Survivorship workgroup discussed developing a study focused on understanding how racism impacts patient engagement in cancer survivorship care. However, during the study's development, the workgroup recognized limitations in research team composition and infrastructure.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUnlabelled: To explore preferred and actual involvement in chemotherapy decision making among stage II and III colon cancer (CC) patients by sociodemographic, interpersonal, and intrapersonal communication factors. Cross-sectional exploratory study collecting self-reported survey data from stage II and III CC patients from 2 cancer centers located in northern Manhattan. Of 88 patients approached, 56 completed the survey.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCoronavirus disease of 2019 (COVD-19) continues to disrupt cancer care delivery efforts and exacerbate existing health inequities. Here we describe the impact of COVID-19 on community outreach organizations partnering with a National Cancer Institute-designated Community Outreach and Engagement (COE) office in New York City (NYC) and lessons learned from these experiences. Between July and September of 2020, we conducted 16 semi-structured interviews with community key-informants to validate and inform efforts to support community organizations in response to COVID-19.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Treatment delays are significantly associated with increased mortality risk among adult cancer patients; however, factors associated with these delays have not been robustly evaluated. This review and meta-analysis will evaluate factors associated with treatment delays among patients with five common cancers.
Methods And Analysis: Scientific databases including Ovid MEDLINE, Elsevier Embase, EBSCOhost CINAHL Plus Full Text, Elsevier Scopus and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global will be searched to identify relevant articles published between January 2000 and October 2021.