National Cancer Institute-funded Social Risk Research in Cancer Care Delivery: Opportunities for Future Research
Cet article américain décrit les axes de recherche du "National Cancer Institute" concernant l'utilisation et la qualité des soins dédiés aux patients atteints d'un cancer en insistant sur les risques sociaux, notamment l'évaluation de l'insécurité alimentaire, l'instabilité du logement et les obstacles liés au transport
Background : Cancer patients and survivors with food insecurity, housing instability, and transportation-related barriers face challenges in access and utilization of quality cancer care, thereby adversely impacting their health outcomes. This portfolio analysis synthesized and described National Cancer Institute (NCI)-supported social risk research focused on assessing food insecurity, housing instability, and transportation-related barriers among individuals diagnosed with cancer. Methods : We conducted a query using the National Institutes of Health iSearch tool to identify NCI-awarded extramural research and training grants (2010 to 2022). Grant abstracts, specific aims, and research strategies were coded for research characteristics, study population, and outcomes. Results : Of the thirty grants included in this analysis, most assessed transportation-related barriers as patient-level social needs. Grants focused on community-level social risks, food insecurity, and housing instability were largely absent. Most grants included activities that identified the presence of social risks and/or needs (n = 24), connected patients to social care resources (n = 10), and engaged community members or organizations to inform the research study (n = 9). Eighteen grants focused on a single type of cancer, primarily breast cancer, and over half focused on the treatment and survivorship phases. Conclusions : In the last decade, there has been limited NCI-funded social risk research grants focused on food insecurity and housing instability. Findings highlight opportunities for future cancer care delivery research, including community and health system-level approaches that integrate social and clinical care to address social risks and social needs. Such efforts can help improve outcomes of populations that experience cancer health and healthcare disparities.