Community health workers' support for cancer clinical trials: description and explanation.

Ethnic differences in participation in cancer clinical trials slow advances in medical knowledge that can reduce health care disparities. Community health workers (CHWs) are an increasingly important bridge between the health care system and underserved communities and could play an important role in increasing rates of clinical trial participation. We investigated community health workers' orientations to medical research and cancer clinical trials with a mixed methods design: two focus groups, 11 intensive interviews, and a structured survey of 76 CHW training workshop participants. CHWs demonstrated high levels of commitment to improving the health of community members but considerable distrust of researchers' motives, low levels of knowledge about cancer clinical trials, and frequent perceptions of bias in the health care system. Support for research is associated with more research experience, self-assessed knowledge, and Hispanic ethnicity, but with less seniority as a CHW. Neither actual knowledge of cancer clinical trials nor perceptions of bias in the health care system were related to degree of support for medical research. Community health workers perceive bias in the health care system but recognize the importance of medical research and are interested in learning more about cancer clinical trials. Research experience increases support for medical research; education increases perceptions of health care system bias.

Impact of participation in a community-based intimate partner violence prevention program on medical students: a multi-center study.

BACKGROUND: Physicians are generally poorly trained to recognize, treat or refer adolescents at risk for intimate partner violence (IPV). Participation in community programs may improve medical students' knowledge, skills, and attitudes about IPV prevention. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the experience of serving as educators in a community-based adolescent IPV prevention program improves medical students' knowledge, skills, and attitudes toward victims of IPV, beyond that of didactic training. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred and seventeen students attending 4 medical schools. DESIGN: Students were randomly assigned to didactic training in adolescent IPV prevention with or without participation as educators in a community-based adolescent IPV prevention program. Students assigned to didactic training alone served as community educators after the study was completed. MEASUREMENT: Knowledge, self-assessment of skills and attitudes about intimate partner violence and future plans to pursue outreach work. RESULTS: The baseline mean knowledge score of 10.25 improved to 21.64 after didactic training (p

Part-time physicians...prevalent, connected, and satisfied.

OBJECTIVE: The health care workforce is evolving and part-time practice is increasing. The objective of this work is to determine the relationship between part-time status, workplace conditions, and physician outcomes. DESIGN: Minimizing error, maximizing outcome (MEMO) study surveyed generalist physicians and their patients in the upper Midwest and New York City. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Physician survey of stress, burnout, job satisfaction, work control, intent to leave, and organizational climate. Patient survey of satisfaction and trust. Responses compared by part-time and full-time physician status; 2-part regression analyses assessed outcomes associated with part-time status. Of 751 physicians contacted, 422 (56%) participated. Eighteen percent reported part-time status (n = 77, 31% of women, 8% of men, p < .001). Part-time physicians reported less burnout (p < .01), higher satisfaction (p < .001), and greater work control (p < .001) than full-time physicians. Intent to leave and assessments of organizational climate were similar between physician groups. A survey of 1,795 patients revealed no significant differences in satisfaction and trust between part-time and full-time physicians. CONCLUSIONS: Part-time is a successful practice style for physicians and their patients. If favorable outcomes influence career choice, an increased demand for part-time practice is likely to occur.

Impact of race on the professional lives of physicians of African descent.

BACKGROUND: Increasing the racial and ethnic diversity of the physician workforce is a national priority. However, insight into the professional experiences of minority physicians is limited. This knowledge is fundamental to developing effective strategies to recruit, retain, and support a diverse physician workforce. OBJECTIVE: To characterize how physicians of African descent experience race in the workplace. DESIGN: Qualitative study based on in-person and in-depth racially concordant interviews using a standard discussion guide. SETTING: The 6 New England states in the United States. PARTICIPANTS: 25 practicing physicians of African descent representing a diverse range of primary practice settings, specialties, and ages. MEASUREMENTS: Professional experiences of physicians of African descent. RESULTS: 1) Awareness of race permeates the experience of physicians of African descent in the health care workplace; 2) race-related experiences shape interpersonal interactions and define the institutional climate; 3) responses to perceived racism at work vary along a spectrum from minimization to confrontation; 4) the health care workplace is often silent on issues of race; and 5) collective race-related experiences can result in "racial fatigue," with personal and professional consequences for physicians. LIMITATIONS: The study was restricted to New England and may not reflect the experiences of physicians in other geographic regions. The findings are meant to be hypothesis-generating and require additional follow-up studies. CONCLUSIONS: The issue of race remains a pervasive influence in the work lives of physicians of African descent. Without sufficient attention to the specific ways in which race shapes physicians' work experiences, health care organizations are unlikely to create environments that successfully foster and sustain a diverse physician workforce.

The influence of social context on changes in fruit and vegetable consumption: results of the healthy directions studies.

As part of the Harvard Cancer Prevention Program Project, we used a social contextual model of health behavior change to test an intervention targeting multiple risk-related behaviors in working-class, multiethnic populations. We examined the relationships between the social contextual factors in our conceptual model and changes in fruit and vegetable consumption from baseline to completion of intervention in health centers and small business studies. We analyzed change in fruit and vegetable consumption, measured at baseline and final assessments by self-report, in 2 randomized controlled prevention trials: 1 in small businesses (n = 974) and 1 in health centers (n = 1954). Stronger social networks, social norms that were more supportive, food sufficiency, and less household crowding were associated with greater change in fruit and vegetable intake. We also observed differences between our intervention sites. Social context can play an important role in promoting changes in fruit and vegetable consumption.

Hormone replacement therapy, cancer, controversies, and women's health: historical, epidemiological, biological, clinical, and advocacy perspectives.

Routine acceptance of use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) was shattered in 2002 when results of the largest HRT randomised clinical trial, the women's health initiative, indicated that long term use of oestrogen plus progestin HRT not only was associated with increased risk of cancer but, contrary to expectations, did not decrease, and may have increased, risk of cardiovascular disease. In June 2004 a group of historians, epidemiologists, biologists, clinicians, and women's health advocates met to discuss the scientific and social context of and response to these findings. It was found that understanding the evolving and contending knowledge on hormones and health requires: (1) considering its societal context, including the impact of the pharmaceutical industry, the biomedical emphasis on individualised risk and preventive medicine, and the gendering of hormones; and (2) asking why, for four decades, since the mid-1960s, were millions of women prescribed powerful pharmacological agents already demonstrated, three decades earlier, to be carcinogenic? Answering this question requires engaging with core issues of accountability, complexity, fear of mortality, and the conduct of socially responsible science.

Worklife and satisfaction of general internists.

BACKGROUND: Prior studies have reported relatively low job satisfaction for general internists. We used data from a large US physician survey to assess correlates of satisfaction of general internists. METHODS: The Physician Worklife Survey was mailed to a national random stratified sample of 5704 US physicians. General internists were assessed for their satisfaction, training, patient mix, work hours, the likelihood of recommending their specialty to medical students, and job stability. We then compared them with a specialist sample (internal medicine subspecialists [IMSSs]) and a primary care sample (family physicians [FPs]). Logistic regression was used to model predictors of satisfaction, stress, and medical student recruitment. RESULTS: There were 2326 respondents (adjusted response rate, 52%): 450 (19%) were general internists; 502 (22%), FPs; and 438 (19%), IMSSs. General internists were less satisfied than were IMSSs with their relationships with colleagues and with patient care issues (P<.01 for both) and less satisfied than were FPs with community ties (P =.001). Global job, career, and specialty satisfaction were significantly lower for general internists vs FPs and IMSSs (P<.05). General internists spent proportionately more of their work week in the hospital than did FPs (20% vs 13%; P<.001) and more time providing outpatient care than did IMSSs (56% vs 42%; P<.001). General internists had more patients with complex medical and psychosocial problems than did FPs (P<.01) but fewer patients with complex medical problems than did IMSSs (P<.001). Higher satisfaction for general internists was associated with older physician age, less time pressure during office visits, fewer work hours, and fewer patients with complex psychosocial problems (P<.05 for all). General internists were less likely than were FPs to recommend their specialty to medical students (P<.001). Specialty satisfaction, female gender, and control of hassles predicted medical student recruitment by general internists. CONCLUSIONS: General internists' role of caring for patients with complex problems is associated with lower levels of satisfaction than for IMSSs and FPs. Adjusting caseload for patient complexity, expanding time for office visits, and additional training in the care of patients with psychosocially complex problems may improve the job satisfaction of general internists and medical student recruitment into the specialty.

A community approach to addressing excess breast and cervical cancer mortality among women of African descent in Boston.

In 2000, the REACH Boston 2010 Breast and Cervical Cancer Coalition conducted a community needs assessment and found several factors that may have contributed to disproportionately high breast and cervical cancer mortality among black women: (a) Focus group participants reported that many women in their communities had limited awareness about risk factors for cancer as well as about screening. (b) Black women experienced barriers to care related to the cultural competence of providers and of institutions. (c) Black women were not receiving adequate follow-up for abnormal mammograms and Pap smears. The Coalition's Community Action Plan to address disparities includes a model primary care service for black women; scholarships to increase the number of black mammogram technologists; primary care provider and radiology technologist training about disparities and cultural competence; and education to increase awareness among black women and to increase leadership and advocacy skills.

Physician race and ethnicity, professional satisfaction, and work-related stress: results from the Physician Worklife Study.

There are limited data about minority physicians' professional satisfaction and job stress. In this study, we describe by race and ethnicity, satisfaction, and job stress among a national sample of physician. We analyzed data from 2,217 respondents to the Physicians' Worklife Survey (PWS), a career satisfaction survey of physicians drawn from the AMA Physician Masterfile. Scales measuring overall job and career satisfaction and work-related stress were constructed from Likert-response items. We examined the association between physician ethnicity and each of these scales. Respondents included 57 black, 134 Hispanic, 400 Asian or Pacific Islander, and 1,626 white physicians. In general, minority physicians appeared to serve a more demanding patient base than did white physicians. Hispanic physicians reported significantly higher job (p=0.05) and career (p=0.03) satisfaction compared to white physicians but no significant difference in stress. Asian or Pacific Islander physicians averaged lower job satisfaction (p=001) and higher stress (p<0.01) compared to white physicians. Black physicians did not differ significantly from white physicians on any of the three measures. Significant racial and ethnic variations were found with respect to several specific satisfaction domains: autonomy, patient care issues, relations with staff, relations with the community, pay, and resources.

Case management intervention in cervical cancer prevention: the Boston REACH coalition women's health demonstration project.

BACKGROUND: The Boston REACH Coalition developed a case management intervention for Black women in primary care settings to identify and reduce medical and social obstacles to cervical cancer screening and following up abnormal results. METHODS: The 5-year intervention was evaluated among 732 Black women aged 18 to 75 who were at high risk for inadequate Pap smear screening and follow-up. Case managers provided social services referrals to address patient-identified social concerns (e.g., transportation, housing), as well as navigation to prompt screening and follow-up of abnormal tests. The three study aims were to (1) identify the social factors associated with Pap smear screening at baseline before intervention, (2) evaluate the correlation between exposure to case management intervention and achieving recommended Pap screening intervals, and (3) evaluate the correlation between exposure to case management intervention and having timely follow-up of abnormal Pap smear tests. RESULTS: We found that a lack of a regular clinical provider, concerns communicating with providers, poor self-rated health, and having less than a high school education were important correlates of recent Pap smear screening before the case management intervention. During the case management intervention, we found a significant increase in achieving recommended Pap smear screening intervals among women with a recent Pap smear at study entry (increasing from 52% in the first year to 80% after 4 or more years; p < .01), but not among women who entered the study without a recent Pap smear (increasing from 31% in the first year to 44% after 4 or more years; p = .39). During case management intervention, having social support for childcare was associated with regular screening among women without a recent Pap smear (odds ratio [OR], 3.52; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.28-9.69). Insurance status was the key factor in timely clinically indicated follow-up of abnormal results (uninsured OR, 0.27; 95% CI, 0.08-0.86), rather than case management intervention. CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to case management was associated with regular Pap smear screening among women who recently engaged in screening. Future research should focus on systems changes to address social determinants of health, including strategies to facilitate screening for Black women without social support for childcare. To improve follow-up of abnormal results, financial access to care should be addressed.

Mammography use among Black women: the role of electronic medical records.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Accurately documenting mammography use is essential to assess quality of care for early breast cancer detection in underserved populations. Self-reports and medical record reports frequently result in different accounts of whether a mammogram was performed. We hypothesize that electronic medical records (EMRs) provide more accurate documentation of mammography use than paper records, as evidenced by the level of agreement between women's self-reported mammography use and mammography use documented in medical records. METHODS: Black women aged 40-75 were surveyed in six primary care sites in Boston, Massachusetts (n = 411). Survey data assessed self-reported mammography prevalence within 2 years of study entry. Corresponding medical record data were collected at each site. Positive predictive value (PPV) of self-report and kappa statistics compared data agreement among sites with and without EMRs. Logistic regression estimated effects of site and patient characteristics on agreement between data sources. RESULTS: Medical records estimated a lower prevalence of mammography use (58%) than self-report (76%). However, self-report and medical record estimates were more similar in sites with EMRs. PPV of self-report was 88% in sites with continuous access to EMRs and 61% at sites without EMRs. Kappa statistics indicated greater data agreement at sites with EMRs (0.72, 95% CI 0.56-0.88) than without EMRs (0.46, 95% CI 0.29-0.64). Adjusted for covariates, odds of data agreement were greatest in sites where EMRs were available during the entire study period (OR 4.31, 95% CI 1.67-11.13). CONCLUSIONS: Primary care sites with EMRs better document mammography use than those with paper records. Patient self-report of mammography screening is more accurate at sites with EMRs. Broader access to EMRs should be implemented to improve quality of documenting mammography use. At a minimum, quality improvement efforts should confirm the accuracy of paper records with supplemental data.

Addressing social determinants of health to improve access to early breast cancer detection: results of the Boston REACH 2010 Breast and Cervical Cancer Coalition Women's Health Demonstration Project.

BACKGROUND: The Boston Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) 2010 Breast and Cervical Cancer Coalition developed a case management intervention for women of African descent to identify and reduce medical and social obstacles to breast cancer screening and following up abnormal results. METHODS: We targeted black women at high risk for inadequate cancer screening and follow-up as evidenced by a prior pattern of missed clinic appointments and frequent urgent care use. Case managers provided referrals to address patient-identified social concerns (e.g., transportation, housing, language barriers), as well as navigation to prompt screening and follow-up of abnormal tests. We recruited 437 black women aged 40-75, who received care at participating primary care sites. The study was conducted as a prospective cohort study rather than as a controlled trial and evaluated intervention effects on mammography uptake and longitudinal screening rates via logistic regression and timely follow-up of abnormal tests via Cox proportional hazards models. RESULTS: A significant increase in screening uptake was found (OR 1.53, 95% CI 1.13-2.08). Housing concerns (p < 0.05) and lacking a regular provider (p < 0.01) predicted poor mammography uptake. Years of participation in the intervention increased odds of obtaining recommended screening by 20% (OR 1.20, 95% CI 1.02-1.40), but this effect was attenuated by covariates (p = 0.53). Timely follow-up for abnormal results was achieved by most women (85%) but could not be attributed to the intervention (HR 0.95, 95% CI 0.50-1.80). CONCLUSIONS: Case management was successful at promoting mammography screening uptake, although no change in longitudinal patterns was found. Housing concerns and lacking a regular provider should be addressed to promote mammography uptake. Future research should provide social assessment and address social obstacles in a randomized controlled setting to confirm the efficacy of social determinant approaches to improve mammography use.

Disparities in surgical care: strategies for enhancing provider-patient communication.

Patient-provider communication is critical to eliminating disparities in healthcare. Both the patient and the physician bring a variety of assumptions to the therapeutic partnership. As illustrated in a surgical case, these are based not only on race and ethnicity but also on a host of other factors, which may affect both partners' perceptions of reality and their subsequent behavior. Communication is an essential component of quality and is necessary to improve patients' understanding of the content of their care, their ability to make informed choices, and their ability to adhere to recommended therapies. There are a variety of practical strategies to enhance awareness of these issues and improve communication that we need to begin to incorporate into surgical culture.

Disparities across the breast cancer continuum.

OBJECTIVE: We performed a structured review of the literature to identify areas of greater and lesser knowledge of the nature of disparities across the breast cancer continuum from risk and prevention to treatment and mortality. METHODS: We searched OvidMedline and PubMed to identify published studies from January 1990 to March 2004 that address disparities in breast cancer. We read the abstracts of the identified articles and then reviewed the articles if they were in English, were limited to American populations, limited to women, and described quantitative outcomes. We designated the articles as addressing one or more disparities across one or more of the domains of the breast cancer continuum. RESULTS: Substantial research exists on racial disparities in breast cancer screening, diagnosis, treatment, and survival. Disparities in screening and treatment exist across other domains of disparities including age, insurance status, and socioeconomic position. Several gaps were identified including how factors interact. CONCLUSION: A structured review of breast cancer disparities suggests that research in other domains of social inequality and levels of the cancer continuum may uncover further disparities. A multidisciplinary and multi-pronged approach is needed to translate the knowledge from existing research into interventions to reduce or eliminate disparities.