Background <p>Cancer incidence and mortality in Canada have improved greatly over recent decades, but these improvements have not been equally distributed across all populations. This environmental scan synthesizes evidence from the real-world implementation of three interventions identified to improve access to cancer care for underserved populations—patient navigation, eHealth, and education and counselling—targeting healthcare access disparities in Alberta. It aims to inform local improvements in cancer care access and healthcare access more broadly, while offering insights for other regions in Canada and internationally with similar health equity challenges.</p> Methods <p>A comprehensive electronic database search was conducted to identify academic and grey literature from January 2013 to March 2024. Data on initiatives (context, setting, target population, modality, and lessons learned) were extracted, coded thematically, and, where relevant, mapped to the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research to support synthesis.</p> Results <p>Twenty-one initiatives involving patient navigation, 17 utilizing eHealth, and 7 inclusive of education and counselling were identified. Multimodal approaches were commonly used across interventions, enhancing flexibility and accessibility. Most initiatives were urban based, suggesting a gap in rural access. Virtual programming has recently expanded, potentially enhancing reach, while education and counselling initiatives remain limited.</p> Conclusions <p>Three key lessons applicable to initiatives which aim to address disparities in cancer care were identified. These lessons emphasize the importance of simplifying implementation, securing leadership and stakeholders’ support, and fostering partnerships and collaboration for program success.</p>

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Reducing health and cancer disparities: an environmental scan of three promising health care access interventions in Alberta, Canada

  • Staci Hastings,
  • Anna Pujadas Botey,
  • Anna Santos Salas,
  • Paula Robson

摘要

Background

Cancer incidence and mortality in Canada have improved greatly over recent decades, but these improvements have not been equally distributed across all populations. This environmental scan synthesizes evidence from the real-world implementation of three interventions identified to improve access to cancer care for underserved populations—patient navigation, eHealth, and education and counselling—targeting healthcare access disparities in Alberta. It aims to inform local improvements in cancer care access and healthcare access more broadly, while offering insights for other regions in Canada and internationally with similar health equity challenges.

Methods

A comprehensive electronic database search was conducted to identify academic and grey literature from January 2013 to March 2024. Data on initiatives (context, setting, target population, modality, and lessons learned) were extracted, coded thematically, and, where relevant, mapped to the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research to support synthesis.

Results

Twenty-one initiatives involving patient navigation, 17 utilizing eHealth, and 7 inclusive of education and counselling were identified. Multimodal approaches were commonly used across interventions, enhancing flexibility and accessibility. Most initiatives were urban based, suggesting a gap in rural access. Virtual programming has recently expanded, potentially enhancing reach, while education and counselling initiatives remain limited.

Conclusions

Three key lessons applicable to initiatives which aim to address disparities in cancer care were identified. These lessons emphasize the importance of simplifying implementation, securing leadership and stakeholders’ support, and fostering partnerships and collaboration for program success.