Trial Information

Addressing Disparities in Cancer Care for Latino Medicare Beneficiaries

The Latino population is the fastest growing minority population in the United States .
Cancer ranks as the second leading cause of death among Latinos in the United States (24%),
second only to heart disease . This project will evaluate whether an innovative
facilitation program (targeting cancers of the prostate, colon/rectum, breast, and cervix)
will improve cancer outcomes among Latino Medicare beneficiaries in the city of Newark, New
Jersey.

The overall aim of this project is to institute an innovative cancer care facilitation
program for elderly Latinos in the city of Newark, NJ. The goal is to reduce the
disparities observed in screening, time to diagnosis and treatment services, by utilizing a
multidisciplinary team approach to health care, incorporating systems thinking methodology.
Using the Multilevel Approach to Community Health (MATCH) planning model , the program will
incorporate community outreach, education, and access to screening, and patient assistance
in all aspects of the health care continuum. It will also include cultural and linguistic
competency training for all those involved in the facilitation process. To accomplish this
goal, we propose four objectives:

1. To establish a multidisciplinary team that will utilize a systems thinking approach to
design and structure the delivery of cancer screening, diagnosis and treatment
facilitation services.

2. To build a collaborative consortium between program partners to improve screening
outcomes, that will encourage the utilization of services in the community.

3. To improve the delivery of cancer prevention and treatment facilitation by providing
cultural and linguistic competency training to the multidisciplinary team, providers,
and the community.

4. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the intervention in reducing the burden of cancer,
by increasing screening rates, improving time to diagnosis and delivery of treatment
services, patient satisfaction, and appropriate use of Medicare services.