Translational Research in Cancer Screening: Long-Term Population-Action Bridges to Diffuse Adherence

The population-level implementation of innovative, evidence-based medical recommendations for adopting health-behaviors depends on the last link in the translation chain: the users. “User-friendly” medical interventions aimed at engaging users to adopt recommended health behaviors are best developed...

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Main Authors: Lea Hagoel, Gad Rennert, Efrat Neter
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-07-01
Series:International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/15/7883
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spelling doaj-8380003a72174055b0a7fa0a0bd0c0982021-08-06T15:23:01ZengMDPI AGInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health1661-78271660-46012021-07-01187883788310.3390/ijerph18157883Translational Research in Cancer Screening: Long-Term Population-Action Bridges to Diffuse AdherenceLea Hagoel0Gad Rennert1Efrat Neter2Department of Community Medicine and Epidemiology, Carmel Medical Center and Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa 3436212, IsraelDepartment of Community Medicine and Epidemiology, Carmel Medical Center and Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa 3436212, IsraelDepartment of Behavioral Sciences, Ruppin Academic Center, Emeq Hefer 4025000, IsraelThe population-level implementation of innovative, evidence-based medical recommendations for adopting health-behaviors depends on the last link in the translation chain: the users. “User-friendly” medical interventions aimed at engaging users to adopt recommended health behaviors are best developed in a collaborative bio-medical and social sciences setting. In the 1990s, National Breast and Colorectal Cancer Early Detection Programs were launched at the Israeli Department of Community Medicine and Epidemiology. Operating under the largest HMO (Health Maintenance Organization) in Israel (“Clalit Health Services”), the department had direct access to HMO community primary-care clinics’ teams, insured members, and medical records. Academically affiliated, the department engaged in translational research. In a decades-long translational process, this multi-disciplinary unit led a series of interventions built upon basic and applied behavioral/social science phenomena such as framing, “Implementation Intentions,” and “Question-Behavior-Effect”. A heterogeneous team of disciplinary specialists created an integrated scientific environment. In order to enhance screening, the team focused on the establishment of a systematic mechanism actively inviting programs’ “users” (average-risk targeted individuals on the national level), and continuously applied social and health psychology concepts to study individuals’ perceptions, expectations, and needs related to cancer screening. The increase in adherence to screening recommendations was slow and incremental. A decrease in late-stage breast and colorectal cancer diagnoses was observed nationally, but participation was lower than expected. This paper positions screening adherence as a unique challenge and proposes new social and network avenues to enhance future participation.https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/15/7883cancer early detectioncancer screeningcommunicationinterdisciplinarypublic healthtranslational medical science
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Lea Hagoel
Gad Rennert
Efrat Neter
spellingShingle Lea Hagoel
Gad Rennert
Efrat Neter
Translational Research in Cancer Screening: Long-Term Population-Action Bridges to Diffuse Adherence
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
cancer early detection
cancer screening
communication
interdisciplinary
public health
translational medical science
author_facet Lea Hagoel
Gad Rennert
Efrat Neter
author_sort Lea Hagoel
title Translational Research in Cancer Screening: Long-Term Population-Action Bridges to Diffuse Adherence
title_short Translational Research in Cancer Screening: Long-Term Population-Action Bridges to Diffuse Adherence
title_full Translational Research in Cancer Screening: Long-Term Population-Action Bridges to Diffuse Adherence
title_fullStr Translational Research in Cancer Screening: Long-Term Population-Action Bridges to Diffuse Adherence
title_full_unstemmed Translational Research in Cancer Screening: Long-Term Population-Action Bridges to Diffuse Adherence
title_sort translational research in cancer screening: long-term population-action bridges to diffuse adherence
publisher MDPI AG
series International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
issn 1661-7827
1660-4601
publishDate 2021-07-01
description The population-level implementation of innovative, evidence-based medical recommendations for adopting health-behaviors depends on the last link in the translation chain: the users. “User-friendly” medical interventions aimed at engaging users to adopt recommended health behaviors are best developed in a collaborative bio-medical and social sciences setting. In the 1990s, National Breast and Colorectal Cancer Early Detection Programs were launched at the Israeli Department of Community Medicine and Epidemiology. Operating under the largest HMO (Health Maintenance Organization) in Israel (“Clalit Health Services”), the department had direct access to HMO community primary-care clinics’ teams, insured members, and medical records. Academically affiliated, the department engaged in translational research. In a decades-long translational process, this multi-disciplinary unit led a series of interventions built upon basic and applied behavioral/social science phenomena such as framing, “Implementation Intentions,” and “Question-Behavior-Effect”. A heterogeneous team of disciplinary specialists created an integrated scientific environment. In order to enhance screening, the team focused on the establishment of a systematic mechanism actively inviting programs’ “users” (average-risk targeted individuals on the national level), and continuously applied social and health psychology concepts to study individuals’ perceptions, expectations, and needs related to cancer screening. The increase in adherence to screening recommendations was slow and incremental. A decrease in late-stage breast and colorectal cancer diagnoses was observed nationally, but participation was lower than expected. This paper positions screening adherence as a unique challenge and proposes new social and network avenues to enhance future participation.
topic cancer early detection
cancer screening
communication
interdisciplinary
public health
translational medical science
url https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/15/7883
work_keys_str_mv AT leahagoel translationalresearchincancerscreeninglongtermpopulationactionbridgestodiffuseadherence
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