Identifying and Supporting People Affected by Cancer who Experience Health and Social Inequities
Leads: Leah Lambert, Scott Beck
We want to understand how healthcare providers recognize and respond to people affected by cancer who experience health and social inequities. We are actively recruiting healthcare providers to participate in one in-person or virtual interview lasting 30-60 minutes and to complete a short online demographic survey. If you are (1) a physician, nurse, allied health professional, or other clinical staff member working in British Columbia, and (2) working with people affected by cancer– we want to connect with you!
If you are interested in participating in this study, please contact Parneet Sekhon at Parneet.Sekhon@bccancer.bc.ca.
Study Background & Rationale:
Current estimates suggest that one half of all Canadians will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime, and one in every four will die of their disease1. However, the burden of cancer is not evenly distributed throughout the Canadian population. Unacceptable disparities have been documented across the cancer care trajectory in Canada, often occurring among people who experience major health and social inequities resulting from a constellation of socioeconomic, demographic, geographic, historical, and structural factors—otherwise known as the Social Determinants of Health.
In the context of cancer care, we define health and social inequities as unjust, avoidable and socially constructed differences in cancer-related health and social outcomes between and within groups of people2-3. Research indicates that groups who experience health and social inequities are significantly more likely to be diagnosed with cancers that are preventable; to be diagnosed with late-stage disease for screening-detectable cancers; to receive insufficient treatment for their disease; to die from cancers that are typically curable; and to receive insufficient pain and symptom management across the cancer care trajectory4-5. While these outcomes are paid increasing attention in the Canadian oncology literature, very little is known about how healthcare providers (HCPs) in oncology settings identify people affected by cancer who may have lived/living experience of health and social inequities.
Aim & Research Questions:
As part of a larger program of research being conducted by the Cancer Health Equity Collaborative, the purpose of this study is to
1Understand how oncology HCPs identify people affected by cancer who have lived/living experience of health and social inequities | 2Understand what oncology HCPs do with that information. |
The findings of this qualitative, interpretive description study will support the design and implementation of equity-oriented service delivery at BC Cancer—the comprehensive cancer control program for the province of British Columbia (BC).
Methods:
This qualitative study is guided by the analytic direction of Interpretive Description. This inductive approach is designed to create experiential evidence that offers practical solutions to problems encountered by health professionals in their practice settings. Semi-structured interviews will be conducted with HCP participants from different professional backgrounds and different cancer care settings across BC.
Study Team
Name | Role | Affiliation |
---|---|---|
Dr. Leah Lambert | Principal Investigator | Executive Director & Sr. Scientist Nursing and Allied Health Research & KT BC Cancer Clinical Assistant Professor, School of Nursing University of British Columbia |
Mr. Scott Beck | Co-Investigator | Clinical Nurse Specialist Nursing and Allied Health Research & KT BC Cancer |
Ms. Jagbir Kaur | Co-Investigator | Clinical Nurse Specialist Nursing and Allied Health Research & KT BC Cancer Ph.D. Candidate, School of Nursing University of British Columbia |
Dr. A. Fuchsia Howard | Co-Investigator | Associate Professor, School of Nursing University of British Columbia |
Dr. Michael McKenzie | Co-Investigator | Radiation Oncologist, BC Cancer - Vancouver |
Dr. Tara Horrill | Co-Investigator | Assistant Professor, College of Nursing University of Manitoba |
Dr. Helen McTaggart-Cowan | Co-Investigator | Scientist, Cancer Control Research BC Cancer Research Institute Assistant Professor Professional Practice, Simon Fraser University |
Ms. Emily Lonsdale | Research Coordinator | Nursing and Allied Health Research & KT BC Cancer |
Ms. Gabriela Gonzalez Montaner | Research Coordinator | Nursing and Allied Health Research & KT BC Cancer |
Ms. Perla Araiza Viramontes | Research Assistant | Nursing and Allied Health Research & KT BC Cancer |
Ms. Parneet Sekhon | Research Assistant | Nursing and Allied Health Research & KT BC Cancer |
BC Cancer Foundation is the fundraising partner of BC Cancer, which includes BC Cancer Research. Together with our donors, we are changing cancer outcomes for British Columbians by funding innovative research and personalized treatment and care.