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Sep 28
Workshop

Workshop 03 - Addressing Access in Breast Cancer - The Impact of Community Patient Navigation from Screening to Survivorship

02:30pm - 04:00pm PT
Breast Cancer
Health Care Access and Engagement

MODERATOR(S)

Laura Flores, MD, PhD - University of Nebraska Medical Center

session DESCRIPTION

Despite vast advancements in breast cancer screening, diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship brought about through technological innovations and therapeutic discoveries, the dissemination and implementation of such interventions has not been equally distributed to all populations in the U.S. Underserved and under-resourced patient populations continue to face decreased access to screening, diagnosis, treatment, and ultimate cure for breast cancer. Intersecting identities and resource availability create added obstacles for patients to effectively navigate the complex pathways to care. Additionally, the multiple interacting social determinants of health make it increasingly challenging for providers to help patients navigate the systems of care to obtain optimal treatment. This session will provide a comprehensive approach to addressing unequal access in breast cancer care, from screening through survivorship and ultimately to cure. The session will provide an interactive workshop to help attendees better understand how to optimize services and implement strategies, focused on patient navigation, that result in improved patient outcomes through ensuring access to screening, understanding and comfort with addressing social determinants of health, and helping navigate patients through clinical trials and ultimately successful completion of treatment. Audience members will learn about successful programs, while working through specific implementation strategies, to effectively apply existing funding resources in creating their own successful interventions. Following the workshop, participants will be invited to continue the conversation at our ASTRO Lounge, discussing challenges, approaches, and potential collaborations to improve care delivery and outcomes for breast cancer patients through the cancer care continuum. This session will provide a comprehensive approach to addressing disparities in breast cancer care, from screening through survivorship and ultimately to cure. The session will provide an interactive workshop to help attendees better understand how to optimize services and implement strategies, focused on patient navigation, that result in improved patient outcomes through ensuring equitable screening, understanding and comfort with addressing social determinants of health, and helping navigate patients through clinical trials and ultimately successful completion of treatment. Audience members will learn about successful programs, while working through specific implementation strategies, to effectively apply existing NIH/NCI resources in creating their own successful interventions. Following the workshop, participants will be invited to continue the conversation at our ASTRO "Inclusion Lounge," discussing challenges, approaches and potential collaborations to improve care delivery and outcomes for breast cancer patients through the cancer care continuum.

learning objectives

  1. Discuss existing disparities in breast cancer screening and equitable screening strategies using simulation modeling.
  2. Identify the impact of various intersecting identities and social determinants of health on screening, diagnosing, treatment, and survivorship of patients with breast cancer focusing on housing, legal status, race, ethnicity, LGBTQ+, rural, resource availability, and limitations that differentially affect patient care.
  3. Implement community patient navigator interventions to improve patient enrollment in clinical trials and completion of guideline concordant treatment in patients diagnosed with breast cancer.

Credits

AMA PRA Category 1 Credits: 1.50

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