title: Use of partnership strategies to build radiation oncology disparities research programs in five Western Pennsylvania communities: an organizational case study.
abstract: Many cancer treatment and prevention trials as well as surveillance programs suffer from a disproportionately low rate of accrual and a high rate of noncompliance or dropouts of racial minorities and the poor. One suggested strategy to help remediate this trend is to directly involve those targeted populations within the development, implementation, and evaluation of these services. The Radiation Oncology Community Outreach Group (ROCOG) and Neighborhood Cancer Care Cooperative (NCCC) are designed based upon this type of highly collaborative organizational structure, consistent with the general principles of community-based participatory research. Funded by the National Cancer Institute Cancer Disparities Research Partnership program, ROCOG/NCCC provide oncology-focused, community hospital-based initiatives intended to help close the cancer disparities gap. This article presents a descriptive case study of the organizational and political process that preceded our grant proposal submission, the potential benefits and difficulties associated with our extensive collaborative model, and an example of how highly competitive health care organizations can become partners in narrowly focused initiatives aimed at a greater social good.
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. khmorg@verizon.net
authors.forename: Keith H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Morgenlander
authors.forename: Dwight E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Heron
authors.forename: Larry L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Schenken
mesh_terms: D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic / Q000592:standards; D019058:Community Networks / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006302:Health Services Research / Q000379:methods; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D006801:Humans; D054547:National Cancer Institute (U.S.); D009369:Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy; D019982:Organizational Case Studies; D010414:Pennsylvania; D010934:Planning Techniques; D016730:Program Development / Q000379:methods*; D018787:Radiation Oncology; D014481:United States