Project Lead: Mar'yana Fisher, Dr. Leah Lambert

The Health System Impact Fellowship (HSIF) was a one-year partnership between BC Cancer, which has the mandate for equitable cancer care for the province of BC, and the University of Victoria.  

Background

Socio-political factors are increasing the carceral population locally and globally, with more individuals aging and dying in prisons. In Canada, an estimated 40,000 people are imprisoned at any time. Those with criminal justice system involvement face severe health disparities, and cancer risk factors are notably higher in this group. Health outcomes for justice-involved individuals are significantly worse than the general population. The 2019 Report of Ontario’s Expert Advisory Committee highlighted how colonialism, racism, abuse, homelessness, poverty, and violence contribute to poor health and limited access to healthcare for this population.

Incarcerated individuals face a disproportionate cancer burden, but limited research in this area hinders addressing their healthcare needs and cancer care development. With more aging justice-involved people at higher cancer risk, new policies, tailored solutions, and community partnerships are needed to address the provision and access to quality cancer care in the province. However, little is known from a Canadian perspective to inform health service innovation in this sector.   

Objective

To provide evidence-based recommendations for advancing equitable cancer care for incarcerated populations in BC by examining barriers in access to cancer treatment and care.

Impact Goal

This project directly addresses BC Cancer’s impact goal of promoting high-quality cancer services that are equitable, accessible, and respectful for all British Columbians. The anticipated impact and value of this project will accelerate health system transformation in moving towards this goal. This project is nested within a larger initiative at BC Cancer, led by Dr. Lambert, which aims to collaborate with leaders in academia, policy, community partners, and other stakeholders to address healthcare inequities in the cancer care sector. By identifying barriers to cancer treatment and care for incarcerated populations, the aim is to develop innovative strategies to promote equitable access to effective and efficient care within and outside prisons that lead to improved patient and health system outcomes.

Next Steps

  • Dissemination of project findings to the organizational partners and key stakeholders.
  • Evidence brief to inform recommendations on feasible practice initiatives and future research on equitable cancer care for the carceral population.
  • Publication of project findings in a high-quality, peer-reviewed journal(s). 
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