Abstract 1019: Address breast cancer equity through virtual community oncology navigation and engagement (vCONET)

Abstract

Abstract The objective of this study is to develop and test a culturally sensitive, inclusive, and accessible virtual navigation model for Black women to promote and improve breast cancer screening behaviors. Breast cancer is among the leading causes of cancer morbidity and mortality globally, and there is a wide range of racial and ethnic disparities across the cancer continuum. Black women continue to have disproportionately high mortality rates compared to Whites, and are more impacted by triple-negative breast cancer and inflammatory breast cancer earlier in their lives and at more advanced stages. Patient navigation, particularly when culturally tailored to the intended population, is highly effective in reducing the complexity of access to care for cancer prevention and treatment. The growing momentum and usage of telehealth and virtual care has significant potential to reach Black women, to promote higher mammography screening and early detection of breast cancer. Virtual patient navigation can provide a safe, engaging, and accessible space to accelerate the application of practical approaches to address health disparities and increase preventive behaviors in underrepresented community. However, limited information exists on specific factors which impact the design, implementation, and receptivity of virtual navigation in Black communities. This study aims to: 2) Develop and test a culturally-adapted prototype of a virtual patient navigation intervention tool for increasing access to breast cancer screening education and promotion for Black women. 1) Use qualitative focus group methodology to explore the beliefs, attitudes, perceptions, and receptivity of community members of program usability and breast cancer awareness, prevention and screening behaviors among Black women. The study will examine social determinants of health that impact potential challenges to access utilization of mammography screening services. Qualitative focus group discussions will be conducted to guide the details of the virtual patient navigation, such as communication channels, specific messaging approaches, and sociocultural factors to integrate, as well as addressing current challenges and needs faced by the community. The results of this study can provide valuable insight to specific needs regarding outreach and access to screening mammography services to underrepresented communities of color to ultimately reduce breast cancer rates. Data collection is ongoing and preliminary results will be presented. Citation Format: Manisha Salinas. Address breast cancer equity through virtual community oncology navigation and engagement (vCONET) [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 1019.