Clinical trials hold great promise for cancer treatment; yet, Hispanic cancer patients have low rates of clinical trial participation. Lack of awareness and knowledge of clinical trials and language barriers may account for low participation rates. Patient education through audiovisual materials can improve knowledge of and attitudes toward clinical trials among Hispanic populations. In this study, 36 Hispanic cancer patients/survivors and caregivers in Florida and Puerto Rico participated in focus groups to aid in developing a Spanish-language DVD and booklet intervention designed to increase knowledge about clinical trials. Focus group results showed (a) low levels of knowledge about clinical trials, (b) uncertainty about why a physician would expect a patient to make a choice about treatment, and (c) desire for family participation in decision making. Respondents expressed various preferences for aspects of the DVD such as showing extended family in the DVD and physician explanations about key terms. On the basis of these preferences, the authors developed a creative brief for a DVD. The content of the DVD was reviewed by Hispanic community leaders and key stakeholders. A final DVD was created, in Spanish, using Hispanic patients and physicians, which contained the information deemed important from the focus groups and stakeholder interviews. The DVD is complete with companion booklet and currently undergoing a randomized control trial.

Racial/ethnic, socioeconomic, and gender disparities in health and access to and use of health care services currently exist. Health professionals are continually striving to reduce and eliminate health disparities within their own community. One such effort in the area of Tampa Bay, Florida was the creation of the African American Men's Health Forum, currently referred to as the Men's Health Forum. The African American Men's Health Forum was the result of the community's desire to reduce the gap in health outcomes for African American men. Later, it was recognized that the gap in health outcomes impacts other communities; therefore, it was broadened to include all men considered medically underserved (those who are uninsured, underinsured, or without a regular health care provider). The Men's Health Forum empowers men with the resources, knowledge, and information to effectively manage their health by providing health education and screenings to the community. This article provides an explanation of the key components that have contributed to the success of the Men's Health Forum, including challenges and lessons learned. It is intended that this information be replicated in other communities in an effort to eliminate health disparities.

There are bioethical concerns related to prostate cancer screening. A new prostate cancer screening approach at a community health promotion event used vouchers to promote informed decision-making in order to reduce these concerns.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide a case study of a multifaceted institutional approach to minimizing cancer health disparities, presenting a novel organizational framework entitled, “A.C.C.E.S.S.” to guide those efforts. Design/methodology/approach This paper presents a case study of an organization that operates under the theory that cancer health disparities are a result of the cumulative incongruence of differences that exist between people in various contexts and interactions over time. Consequently, the A.C.C.E.S.S. framework is used to demonstrate the range of opportunities within an organization to intervene and mitigate gaps that result in inequality. Findings Addressing A.C.C.E.S.S. in various interactions and contexts over a sustained period of time results in a continuous improvement cycle that attenuates cancer health disparity. Originality/value The antecedents and impacts of cancer health disparities are well documented. However, there is a dearth of directionality for institutions and organizations in achieving equality in cancer treatment and care. This paper provides a framework to consider in organizing such endeavors.

Introduction: Hispanic cancer patients are underrepresented in cancer clinical trials (CCTs). Recent research suggests lack of knowledge and low health literacy among non-English speaking Hispanics may contribute to low accrual rates. Audiovisual materials offer advantages to Hispanic populations in that they have been shown to have: high acceptability; easy dissemination; and can also be viewed with family. Hispanic cancer patients/survivors and caregivers participated in focus groups to aid in developing a Spanish language DVD and booklet intervention. This multi-media intervention was designed to meet the specific needs of cancer patients who prefer speaking Spanish by increasing knowledge and decreasing uncertainty about CCTs. This pilot project explored the feasibility, and effectiveness of the multimedia intervention developed by our team. Methods: 25 patients were randomized to either: (1) an intervention condition in which they were asked to view the DVD and read the accompanying brochure (n=13); or (2) a control condition in which they were asked to read the National Cancer Institute's brochure entitled “Si tiene cáncer…Lo que debería saber sobre estudios clínicos” (If You Have Cancer…What You Should Know About Clinical Trials; n=12). Self-report data on knowledge, attitudes toward participation in CCT, self efficacy for participating in CCT, likelihood of participating in a CCT, and receptivity to CCT information, were collected at two time points: 1) in person, following study enrollment, but before receipt of the intervention assignment; and 2) by telephone interview between 7 and 28 days following study enrollment. Results: Twenty-five of twenty eight eligible patients (89%) participated in the study, mean age: 51.5 years; 48% female; 72% currently married). Despite the small sample size, trends in the data suggest participants provided with the multimedia DVD and brochure intervention believed themselves to be more capable of participating in a CCT, more receptive to learning about a CCT, and reported greater likelihood of participating in a CCT compared to patients provided standard NCI educational materials. Patients in both conditions were more knowledgeable about CCTs at follow-up. Preliminary pilot data should be confirmed in a larger randomized control trial. However, a multi-media intervention found to be effective in increasing Hispanic patients’ confidence in participating and intention to participate in a CCT has the potential to be widely disseminated. Dissemination of such an intervention may improve the quality of care for Hispanic cancer patients who are eligible for CCTs. Citation Information: Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2011;20(10 Suppl):A30.