PR-CEAL: Community Outreach Engagement Group

The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends regular screenings for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer. The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted health screening practices, leading to a decrease in cancer screenings among the United States including Puerto Rico. This has been attributed to unwillingness, distrust, and insecurity related to accessing healthcare services. To overcome these challenges, a collaboration between PR-CEAL's Community Outreach Engagement Group (COEG), academic researchers, healthcare institutions, and community-based organizations proposed to engage in different community activities throughout the island. In these events, investigators conducted a single blinded community-based Randomized Clinical Trial (RCT) regarding cancer screening practices in women 21 through 75 years. The community-based RCT employed a mixed-method design to gain insights into the perception of health and cancer screening status of participants regarding breast, uterine (cervical), and colorectal cancer. Data was collected through in person interviews and two follow up phone calls, enabling the researchers to obtain valuable sociodemographic information, assessing cancer screening history, and identifying existing barriers. The hypothesis of this study is that implementing evidence-based intervention at community settings across Puerto Rico will have a significant positive effect on cancer screening rates among non-adherent patients. By identifying and adapting the Prevention Care Management for Cancer Screening intervention and leveraging the expertise of the National Cancer Institute, the study aimed to improve screening rates, address barriers that hinder or delay screenings, and raise awareness about the importance of early detection.