Read time: 4 minutes.
The LUNGevity Conversations that Count speaker series offers an opportunity to stay informed, engage in critical discussions, and learn from top experts revolutionizing lung cancer care for underserved populations. The series is intended for healthcare professionals, community health equity champions, and anyone interested in equitable access to healthcare.
In March, we welcomed Cardinale B. Smith, MD, PhD, Chief Medical Officer at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Her research to date has focused on improving the quality of care for people with cancer with a focus on health equity, development of novel models of equitable cancer care delivery, and doctor-patient communication.
You can watch the full video or use the timestamps to view specific sections.
Presentation Overview: 4:10-8:00
Objectives of the presentation:
- Recognize why patient engagement is essential for improving outcomes
- Understand the importance of building trust in community partnerships
- Learn best practices for engaging diverse communities
- Reflect on lessons learned and opportunities for improving patient engagement
Community outreach and engagement: The art of creating partnerships by exchanging information and expertise to empower and strengthen both the internal and external community.
Social Drivers of Health & Known Disparities 8:00-14:20
Dr. Smith uses a graphic to show how inequalities lead to disparities. She then goes deeper into the known disparities in cancer care and morbidity, specifically in clinical trial participation. She highlights that Black and Hispanic individuals are often underrepresented in clinical trials, yet when they are offered the opportunity to participate in trials, they do so at the same rate as other racial groups.
It’s not a matter of these different racial groups not wanting to participate in clinical trials, it’s a matter of either access or being offered to participate.
Dr. Cardinale B. Smith
New York City as a Case Study: 14:20-19:25
Dr. Smith shares data about lung cancer in New York City, where she's located. The highlighted data breaks down the differences by neighborhood for these factors:
- Lung cancer incidence and mortality rates
- Socioeconomic status
- Social drivers and risk factors such as poverty, obesity, smoking, drinking, education, etc.
Dr. Smith then shares how her team uses this type of data to develop a patient engagement program.
Building Relationships - Process, Examples, and Outcomes: 19:25-25:55
While there are many options for connecting with communities and individuals—social media, clinics, webinars, health events—Dr. Smith notes you need to select the right option(s) for the right communities.
Posting something on Facebook will reach a certain community but not others. The same is true of sharing your materials in English compared to Spanish or other languages. Looking at the data and makeup of different communities can help determine the best approaches to reach and connect with them.
Dr. Smith shares outcomes from her community engagement project, which included more than 2,000 participants—11% of whom were eligible for lung cancer screening. Among those eligible for screening:
- 70% used navigation services for screening
- 75% belonged to a minority community
- 67% identified as female
- 50% identified as disabled
Connecting the Community with Researchers and Scientists: 25:55-34:15
Dr. Smith moves into talking about a project of hers that has a goal of developing a sustainable bridge between community and researchers. Her team identified community scientists who would support the overall project objectives and lead to a relationship where the:
- Community is aware of and engaged with research
- Researchers are aware of community interests and priorities
- Research projects are responsive to community needs
To achieve sustainable community engagement, Dr. Smith stresses the importance of trust, long-term commitments, and investments in initiatives that prioritize patient involvement and leadership.
For more information on this project and the community scientist approach, make sure to watch this entire section starting at 25:55.
Key Lessons and Takeaways
Throughout the presentation, Dr. Smith highlighted several lessons learned from her work, including the success of community co-design, partnering with trusted institutions, and the effectiveness of multimodal outreach efforts. However, she also identified areas for improvement, such as engaging nontraditional partners earlier and securing sustainable funding for community-led initiatives.
A key takeaway from the session is that when communities are engaged as active partners, cancer care becomes more inclusive, equitable, and effective.
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