A Health Disparities Visualization Tool for Informing Cancer Prevention and Control Efforts

NIH RePORTER · NIH · G08 · $146,868 · view on reporter.nih.gov ↗

Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT The burden of colorectal, cervical, and breast cancer cases and deaths are disproportionately greater among individuals living in impoverished and underserved areas. Early detection of these cancers through screenings and timely treatment among individuals diagnosed with precancers or cancers can reduce inequities in these vulnerable groups. Actionable data to guide outreach efforts, and implement programs and policies are urgently needed to reduce colorectal, cervical, and breast disparities among low-income and underserved communities. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the American Cancer Society (ACS) recently emphasized the promise of big data in improving knowledge and providing more accurate data for informing practice and policies. This project draws from the NCI’s and ACS’s vision of the strategic use of big data and integrates it within an interactive data visualization framework. We will utilize South Carolina state’s Integrated Database System (covering health information of over 90% of low-income individuals) to determine colorectal, cervical, and breast cancer disparities among low-income and underserved individuals and develop a user- centered cancer disparities visualization tool through stakeholder engagement. Two end products (a web- based interactive tool and a toolkit) will be disseminated to community organizations and stakeholders working with low-income and underserved populations. Our goal is to provide useful, usable, understandable health disparities data and form partnerships with community organizations and stakeholders to implement evidence- based resources and achieve cancer health equity. Therefore, this proposal is directly responsive to PAR-20- 283 (Objective: Providing health information resources/services to community organizations involved with health disparity population’). We plan to put the information generated from this study into immediate action by deploying the Medical University of South Carolina’s fully operational mobile health units to provide cancer screenings to communities and groups with urgent needs. A data-driven approach to population outreach, combined with the implementation of evidence-based interventions, could translate into long-term public health and economic gains.

Key facts

NIH application ID
10792151
Project number
1G08LM014413-01
Recipient
MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA
Principal Investigator
Kalyani Sonawane
Activity code
G08
Funding institute
NIH
Fiscal year
2024
Award amount
$146,868
Award type
1
Project period
2024-09-09 → 2027-07-31