Patient Navigation Services for the Improvement of Cancer Screening among Underserved Neighborhoods in New York City, NYC CONNECT Trial
This clinical trial aims to provide education and support from a community health worker (CHW) to provide navigational services to cancer screening and connection to social services among underserved neighborhoods in New York City (NYC). Cancer disparities (inequalities) in the United States currently persist and are expected to widen among racial and ethnic minoritized groups. A social determinants of health (SDH) approach emphasizes the critical impact of the conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live, and age and the broader range of forces and systems that shape daily life, health, and well-being. Racism, food insecurity, housing instability, language barriers, lack of transportation and childcare, residential segregation, neighborhood poverty, and health insurance access are associated with breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer disparities and delays in and receipt of cancer screening, diagnostic testing, and care. CHWs represent an empowering and community-driven approach to deepen social cohesion (sense of belonging among groups in society) and social capital (shared values or resources that allows individuals to work together in a group to effectively achieve a common purpose) and address the experience of systemic racism in community and clinical settings. In community settings, CHWs can more effectively engage underserved communities, serving as trusted sources of health information, and can impart scientific knowledge and complex medical procedures and treatment regimens in ways that are accessible to lay audiences and tackle cultural concerns and social barriers. Receiving education and support from a community health worker may help provide navigational services to cancer screening and connect patients to social services.