Study Identifies Gaps and Opportunities in Community Engagement at Cancer Centers

A study published in JNCI Cancer Spectrum highlights the challenges and opportunities for improving the impact of community outreach and engagement (COE) programs at National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated cancer centers. These programs, mandated to address cancer inequities within their catchment areas, play a pivotal role in translating research into practice and engaging communities to advance cancer prevention and treatment. Despite their potential, resource constraints and systemic barriers limit the effectiveness of COEs. To explore these challenges, researchers conducted a qualitative study in 2021, interviewing leaders from 56 of 64 eligible cancer centers.

The study identified 6 critical areas where COEs require support. First, increasing the value placed on community engagement within cancer centers was deemed essential, with suggestions to integrate COE efforts into grant applications and provide targeted funding to encourage broader academic involvement. Second, participants highlighted the need for enhanced training in implementation science and practice, aiming to bridge the gap between novice- and intermediate-level practitioners while equipping COE staff and partners to use evidence-based interventions (EBIs) effectively.

Third, the study emphasized the importance of improving cross-center collaboration, particularly in sharing best practices for partnership management, EBI implementation, and community engagement strategies. Fourth, funding emerged as a major constraint, with COE leaders calling for increased financial resources to sustain research, compensate staff fairly, and retain personnel. Fifth, participants advocated for revisions to funder guidance and reporting requirements, suggesting that clearer expectations for infrastructure, partnerships, and impact assessment would better align with COE priorities. Lastly, the need to improve data utilization was underscored, with recommendations to leverage cancer registries, maintain localized data sources, and use electronic medical records for program evaluation.

The study concluded that long-term, systemic investments are essential to help COEs achieve their potential. These investments should focus on capacity building for community-engaged research and implementation science while aligning operations with equity-driven values. Enhanced support could also strengthen researcher-community connections, facilitate representative clinical trial recruitment, and ensure meaningful engagement with catchment areas.

“Overall, COEs at cancer centers represent a tremendous opportunity to bridge research-practice and community-academic gaps,” concluded the study authors. “By addressing the needs and supports identified above, COEs will be well positioned to achieve their potential and increase the translation of critical cancer prevention and control services to communities while advancing the core goals of advancing health equity.”

Reference

Ramanadhan S, Daly J, Lee RM, Mallick K, Augenbraun SL, Emmons KM. Maximizing the impact of community outreach and engagement at US cancer centers. JNCI Cancer Spectr. 2024;8(4):pkae053. doi:10.1093/jncics/pkae053