A Collaborative Approach to Improving Breast Cancer Screening and Follow-Up Through Multicomponent Interventions and...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Services Research
• Oncology

Background:

• The Links to Care Community Grants Project was initiated to address disparities in breast cancer outcomes.
• Key objectives include improving access to follow-up care and streamlining care transitions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To enhance care coordination between community health centers (CHCs) and hospital partners.
• To improve breast cancer screening and diagnostic testing completion rates.

Main Methods:

• A 24-month multi-pronged project incorporating quality improvement (QI) coaching and technical assistance.
• Utilized the Model for Improvement for adaptive changes and a data collection tool for evaluation.
• Assessed interventions targeting patient, provider, and system levels.

Main Results:

• Seven CHCs across 27 clinic sites participated, covering 26,255 eligible patients.
• Baseline breast cancer screening rate averaged 51.1% across participating sites.

Conclusions:

• The project evaluates interventions designed to reduce delays in the breast cancer care continuum.
• Focus on improving care coordination processes to enhance patient outcomes.