 | 2009 Conference |
SPECIAL LUNCH CONCERT JUNE 28th: MIKE-E & AFROFLOW
Health Disparities
Health disparities are differences in the incidence, prevalence, mortality, and burden of cancer and related adverse health conditions, beyond what would be expected under equitable circumstances, that exist among specific population groups in the United States.
Health Equity
The state of a population’s health such that access to and receipt of appropriate quality preventive, screening, treatment, palliative, and end of life care, services and information are not determined or influenced by social, economic or political barriers is called health equity. In this conference, we look at health equity through the cancer lens.
Mixed Messages
There is good news: overall cancer incidence and mortality rates have fallen over the past 6 years. There is not so good news: the gap between African Americans and Whites has widened as has the gap between poor, near poor, and wealthy Americans. We know the facts. For example, Hispanic women have twice the mortality rate for cervical cancer than White women; uninsured patients are 1.5 times as likely to die of their colorectal cancer as privately insured patients; poor women will be diagnosed with late stage breast cancer as twice as often as upper income women; and, a recent study showed that a significant number of Korean American women are not familiar with the Pap test. We know barriers such as low social economic status, lack of access to care, geographic isolation, unsafe neighborhoods and treatment bias can lead to poor cancer outcomes. These are just a few of what are called social determinants of health. We also know of programs and policies that have led to improved cancer outcomes and health equity. Now we must act. We know what to do: Intervene, Advocate and Communicate. Our 2009 conference will prepare you to do just that.
Who Should Attend?
If you have the responsibility for developing or implementing programs to improve health outcomes among the underserved, a health professional involved in providing patient care, or a leader responsible for crafting health messaging for the public, patients, providers and/or policy-makers, this conference will directly benefit your work and you will leave with specific next steps to use.
In 2007, at our last conference, Bridging the Healthcare Divide, we announced a first – the creation of the American Cancer Society’s Office of Health Disparities. We explored the origins of disparities in cancer occurrence and death rates. Dr. Elena Rios, President and CEO of the
National Hispanic Medical Association, discussed the genetic factors, risk behaviors, lack of access to information, environmental risks, other chronic conditions, and the availability of health care services that all contribute to cancer disparities by gender, ethnicity, geographic region, and socioeconomic status. And, Dr. Lovell Jones, Founding Co-Chair of the
Intercultural Cancer Council, pointed out that class and racial and ethnic bias can influence whether cancer screening, early detection or treatment are even offered. All of these conditions frequently contribute to late-stage diagnoses and poor survival rates.
Two years later, we are bringing prominent researchers, practitioners and community partners together to talk about what really is working and who’s doing this effective work – because there has been progress. Health Equity: Through the Cancer Lens will focus on cancer health disparities from three perspectives: Community Intervention, Advocacy and Communication. We will answer key questions, including:
- What strategies are successful in increasing prevention and/or early detection of breast, cervical and colorectal cancer and in improving the availability of quality treatment, prolonging survivorship, and enhancing quality of life?
- What initiatives have been successful in reducing obesity and smoking rates?
- What policies have been most effective at promoting health equity and how can they be implemented at the local, state and federal level?
- How do we address the social determinants of health to improve cancer outcomes?
- What health messages and communications delivery mechanisms have been effective in raising cancer awareness and changing individual behavior?
This conference represents another first in the American Cancer Society’s strategy to address health disparities and promote health equity. This year we have partnered with the
National Medical Association (NMA), the nation’s largest organization of minority physicians, to develop a consensus paper on cancer disparities in underserved populations. The presentation of this paper will kick-off our conference at an NMA-ACS combined general plenary session the morning of July 28th during the NMA Annual Meeting and Scientific Assembly. Attendees of both conferences will hear our keynote speakers build on these consensus recommendations and set the stage for the remainder of the disparities conference.
