5
Strategic Planning Mod 1 SLP
Alexandria Williams
Trident International University
Dr. Roy Constantine
14 January 2023
Question one
Asian Americans are the only racial/ethnic group in the United States where cancer is the leading cause of death in both men and women, whereas heart disease is the leading cause of death in all other groups (Lin et al., 2019). Asian Americans face a fusion of cancer risks, including high rates of cancer endemic to their countries of origin because of infectious and cultural factors, as well as rising rates of "Western" cancers linked to absorption to the American diet and lifestyle. Despite the apparent mortality risk, Asian Americans are screened for cancer at a lower rate than the rest of the population. Language and cultural concerns of this very diverse group complicate solutions to eliminate disparities in cancer care (Lin et al., 2019).
Even though the healthcare disparities encountered by Asian Americans may be less visible than the structural racism that has caused significant harm to the health of Black Americans for more than four centuries, the purpose of this review is to raise awareness and compel the health industry to recognize the urgent need to avoid health disparities for all (Lin et al., 2019). PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Cancer is the leading cause of death among Asian Americans, who face cancers that are endemic to their native countries, possibly due to infectious and cultural factors, as well as cancers that are endemic to all Americans, possibly due to "Westernization" in terms of diet and lifestyle (Lin et al., 2019).
Question two
Cancer patients require both financial and social support. According to studies, most cancer survivors and patients have economic concerns linked to psychological distress. Financial, legal, housing, food, and transportation needs were significant concerns for our study's predominantly low-income Asian American cancer patients (Lin et al., 2019). Another study found that cancer is "one of many trials" for Filipino American women, indicating that the struggle for daily survival often outweighs an existing concern like cancer. It is critical to address these needs to assist Asian American cancer patients in initiating and completing life-saving cancer drugs that may enhance their quality of life (Lin et al., 2019).
Cancer patients, in broad, have a high demand for cancer information. Nearly 80% of cancer patients in our study sample, mostly low-income Asian Americans with LEP, expressed a need for carcinoma and treatment data, which is consistent with other studies. LEP has been identified as a barrier for Asian American cancer patients seeking supportive care. According to a literature review of the communication needs of Chinese cancer patients in Asia and North America, the most common unmet needs for immigrant Chinese patients are treatment information and healthcare access (Lin et al., 2019).
Question three
Participants reported the need for cancer info, physical activity, diet language guidance, coping with adverse effects, and substance use resources at follow-ups. One potential reason is that, with appropriate cancer care, the needs resulting from a new cancer detection may have been answered or become less relevant over time. Another reason could be that our steering program met the participants' needs. At three months, more participants indicated having daily living needs, and at 3 and 6 months, more respondents reported having healthcare access needs (Zavala et al., 2021). This might be due to monetary toxicity, a financial problem caused by high treatment costs, and can result in poor quality of life, emotional damage, and disrupted access to cancer care. Cancer is the most common cause of death among Asian Americans. Nevertheless, few studies have documented the supportive care needs of Asian American cancer patients. This article examined the needs reported by Asian American patients with colorectal, liver, or lung cancer over six months of treatment (Zavala et al., 2021).
Question four
The many languages spoken by Asian Americans, perhaps more than any other group, require the allocation of cancer knowledge and monitoring in all languages. Due to the complexity of medical terminology and risk descriptions, as well as the possibility of cultural barriers to using terms like "cancer," medical translator services are critical for reliable info delivery, as contrasted to interpretation by a family member or friend (Zavala et al., 2021). Given the time constraints of modern medical practice, the additional time and effort required to use medical interpreter services may result in fewer suggestions for appropriate screening. Government funding should be increased nationally to reduce disparities among Asian Americans. Enhancing cancer literacy and availability will help to reduce cancer disparities and improve medical services for Asian Americans (Zavala et al., 2021).
Culturally appropriate, community-based interventions that meet Asian American communities where they live are probable to be the most successful in enhancing health care access and education. In a culturally aware and impactful manner, lay navigators can greatly enhance cancer awareness, care access, and cancer screening. Care access and self-advocacy encouragement can normalize visiting primary-care physicians for routine care and screening in inhabitants who are least likely to have seen a doctor in the previous year. The collaboration of significant cancer and community health centers will align the goals of smoothly transitioning patients from testing and diagnosis to acceptable oncology care and access to clinical studies (Zavala et al., 2021).
References
Lin, C. H., Yap, Y. S., Lee, K. H., Im, S. A., Naito, Y., Yeo, W., … & Asian Breast Cancer Cooperative Group. (2019). Contrasting epidemiology and clinicopathology of female breast cancer in Asians vs the US population. JNCI: Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 111(12), 1298-1306.
Zavala, V. A., Bracci, P. M., Carethers, J. M., Carvajal-Carmona, L., Coggins, N. B., Cruz-Correa, M. R., … & Fejerman, L. (2021). Cancer health disparities in racial/ethnic minorities in the United States. British journal of cancer, 124(2), 315-332.
