It remains a sad reality that while there have been great advances in cancer care, not all individuals and populations are benefiting equally. In high-income countries, such as the United States, these disparities can manifest as lower screening rates, delayed diagnoses, gaps in care coordination, and limited access to advanced treatments in underserved communities.
In the face of such challenges, it’s crucial to focus on solutions. As I discussed with Devex at a side event during the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly, developing proactive measures to address disparities in cancer care can catalyze significant change — especially if potential solutions are tailored to the specific geographic needs of the underserved populations they aim to help.
Here's how you can help build a world where everyone receives the cancer care they need and deserve:
There’s strength in numbers. Collaboration between medical associations, policymakers, providers, payers, and community organizations is essential to creating support networks that reach those in need. Localization and scope are key, as local and regional partnership models can play a vital role in helping underserved patients receive treatment and prevention services in a timely and sustainable manner. Local and regional partnerships also assist with identifying specific barriers that need to be solved, helping large organizations to simplify tasks and avoid “boiling the ocean.”
Notable examples of this include the Get Screened initiative by the American Cancer Society, or ACS, in which MSD is a sponsor, and MSD’s Health Equity Catalyst Fund. ACS’ Get Screened initiative helps increase cancer screening rates in underserved U.S. communities, and the Health Equity Catalyst Fund empowers local teams to help improve equitable health outcomes by engaging at the community level to remove barriers to care and/or by strengthening health systems to deliver high-quality and accountable care.
A data-driven approach is a game changer in addressing inequities in cancer care. We can leverage data to make informed decisions, design more appropriate interventions, and evaluate differences in access and clinical outcomes at various stages in the cancer care continuum.
Payers, health care providers, and other stakeholders have access to an amazing array of data — including information on patient reported outcomes and social determinants of health — that can be used to pinpoint disparities, anticipate risk, and analyze patients longitudinally to more accurately determine where they’re falling through the cracks.
Advances in digital and data capabilities have also improved our ability to tailor educational resources to the needs of specific communities and patient groups. For example, MSD recently launched an online health platform called Nia that aims to normalize breast health conversations among Black women in the U.S. aged 25 to 45 years old; a group that faced a 41% higher mortality rate for the disease compared to white women, according to data from 2015-2019. Designed with cultural sensitivities in mind, resources like these can be effective at informing, educating, and activating underserved populations.
Patient-centered approaches are highly conducive to creating equitable access to health services. By engaging in proactive outreach, guidance, and education throughout the entire care journey, we can ensure that patients are well-informed about their diagnostic and treatment options and feel supported every step of the way. This level of support with patient navigation plays a vital role in combating misinformation and encouraging cancer prevention.
Additionally, intensive patient navigation minimizes patient drop-offs, in particular those related to social determinants of health barriers, such as transportation and health literacy. By emphasizing and encouraging this holistic, evidence-based approach, we can create an inclusive environment that ensures all individuals receive the care they need.
Many organizations, including the Center for Black Women’s Wellness, are adopting strong care coordination approaches to ensure women are supported — from health screening through to linkage to care.
Interventions are vital for addressing the needs of underserved populations, and community-based organizations should be at the forefront of this work. They are uniquely situated to marshal the appropriate support and resources and can help with building trust where others in the health equity ecosystem may have difficulty making headway.
With a closer connection to the patient populations they aim to help, these groups are often better equipped to tailor their programs to their communities. A textbook example of this work in action is the Indiana Immunization Coalition, which exists to reduce the spread of vaccine-preventable diseases through immunization, education, advocacy, promotion, and collaborative partnerships.
To truly understand the impact of our efforts, metrics are key.
With better data, we can track progress in areas such as screening rates and patient navigation and help prevent individuals from falling through the cracks or experiencing delayed treatment But still, it’s important to up the ante in terms of how we define impact at the patient level and continuously work to make sure our efforts are resulting in positive health outcomes.
We want to know that our work is leading to positive change for all, and together, we can help ensure timely access to high-quality cancer care is a reality for everyone.
Learn more about how we’re working to enable a safe and healthy future for people and communities globally at MSD.com/access.