RIOS Net is partnering in a study aimed at breast cancer prevention
in New Mexico. The problem is that Hispanic women over age 40 in this
state
get fewer mammograms than non-Hispanic White women, are more likely to
be diagnosed with later-stage breast cancer, and have lower survival
rates. The project is being led by by Dr. Helitzer of UNM’s Health Evaluation and
Research Office (HERO) and funded by the
Susan G. Komen Breast
Cancer Foundation .
This
study aims to understand why these women don’t seek mammography screening,
explore possible “patient navigation” methods, and develop recommendations
so that screening rates can be improved.
The communities targeted are Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Anthony, and Espanola. Subjective and objective barriers to obtaining mammography will be explored, as well as resources to encourage screening or reduce missed appointments. Interviews are currently being held with RIOS Net clinicians, and with promotoras or community health workers. . Community contacts with strong local ties are being hired to provide local facilitation and recruit participants. In the next phase, focus groups will be held with Hispanic women grouped according to whether they did or did not obtain mammograms in the past two years.
The focus group process, used in a number of RIOS Net projects, is designed to be culturally appropriate and to elicit a broad range of perspectives on sensitive topics. This qualitative research technique cycles through exploratory, clarifying, and confirmatory phases to understand and classify the themes and concerns that arise. The data will be used to design testable interventions on reducing barriers to care.
