PURPOSE: The goal of this study was to examine the effect of a rural community clinical oncology program-based cancer-care intervention program that was launched to increase the number of rural patients with cancer enrolled in clinical trials. DESCRIPTION OF STUDY: Five rural counties in eastern North Carolina served as intervention communities, and five rural counties in South Carolina served as the comparison region. The intervention counties used a rapid tumor-reporting system, a nurse facilitator who identified and prompted oncologists to enter patients into clinical trials, a quarterly newsletter to primary-care physicians about cancer treatment and clinical trials, and a health educator who focused on community-wide education regarding cancer prevention, treatment, and clinical trial information. Outcomes included changes in knowledge and attitudes about clinical trials among the primary-care providers who were surveyed and enrollment in clinical treatment trials for breast and colorectal cancer, as analyzed by comparing practice pattern data from before and after the intervention. RESULTS: The results indicate that the intervention was not effective. The proportion of primary-care physicians who were aware of clinical trials for their patients with cancer rose slightly in comparison counties (26% to 34%) but remained constant (41% to 43%) in intervention counties. Perceived patient and actual physician barriers toward clinical trial participation were reported by the physicians. A minority of potentially eligible patients with breast or colon cancer in both North Carolina and South Carolina were enrolled in clinical trials. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: These data suggest that different types of interventions may be needed to improve accrual to cancer treatment trials in rural communities. In addition, the role that primary-care providers play in encouraging patients with cancer to participate in clinical treatment trials needs further exploration.
PURPOSE: The goal of this study was to examine the effect of a rural community clinical oncology program-based cancer-care intervention program that was launched to increase the number of rural patients with cancer enrolled in clinical trials. DESCRIPTION OF STUDY: Five rural counties in eastern North Carolina served as intervention communities, and five rural counties in South Carolina served as the comparison region. The intervention counties used a rapid tumor-reporting system, a nurse facilitator who identified and prompted oncologists to enter patients into clinical trials, a quarterly newsletter to primary-care physicians about cancer treatment and clinical trials, and a health educator who focused on community-wide education regarding cancer prevention, treatment, and clinical trial information. Outcomes included changes in knowledge and attitudes about clinical trials among the primary-care providers who were surveyed and enrollment in clinical treatment trials for breast and colorectal cancer, as analyzed by comparing practice pattern data from before and after the intervention. RESULTS: The results indicate that the intervention was not effective. The proportion of primary-care physicians who were aware of clinical trials for their patients with cancer rose slightly in comparison counties (26% to 34%) but remained constant (41% to 43%) in intervention counties. Perceived patient and actual physician barriers toward clinical trial participation were reported by the physicians. A minority of potentially eligible patients with breast or colon cancer in both North Carolina and South Carolina were enrolled in clinical trials. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: These data suggest that different types of interventions may be needed to improve accrual to cancer treatment trials in rural communities. In addition, the role that primary-care providers play in encouraging patients with cancer to participate in clinical treatment trials needs further exploration.
Authors: Margo Michaels; Elisa S Weiss; John A Guidry; Natasha Blakeney; Liz Swords; Brian Gibbs; Samantha Yeun; Bruce Rytkonen; Robert Goodman; S Lisbeth Jarama; Amanda L Greene; Shilpa Patel Journal: J Cancer Educ Date: 2012-03 Impact factor: 2.037
Authors: Nadine J Barrett; Kearston L Ingraham; Kenisha Bethea; Pao Hwa-Lin; Maritza Chirinos; Laura J Fish; Schenita Randolph; Ping Zhang; Peter Le; Demetrius Harvey; Ronald L Godbee; Steven R Patierno Journal: Adv Cancer Res Date: 2020-03-19 Impact factor: 6.242
Authors: Michael Goodman; Lyn Almon; Rana Bayakly; Susan Butler; Carol Crosby; Colleen DiIorio; Donatus Ekwueme; Diane Fletcher; John Fowler; Theresa Gillespie; Karen Glanz; Ingrid Hall; Judith Lee; Jonathan Liff; Joseph Lipscomb; Lori A Pollack; Lisa C Richardson; Phillip Roberts; Kyle Steenland; Kevin Ward Journal: J Community Health Date: 2009-02
Authors: Margaret E Gruen; Katrina N Jiamachello; Andrea Thomson; B Duncan X Lascelles Journal: J Feline Med Surg Date: 2014-06-17 Impact factor: 2.015