PHILADELPHIA (August 25, 2023) — Researchers at Fox Chase Cancer Center recently received a $3 million grant from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, part of the National Institutes of Health, to evaluate the effectiveness of the Health Enhancement Resource System (HERS) intervention.
The system, which uses text message reminders and interactions, was created to increase the rate of follow-up visits for individuals who receive abnormal cervical screening results.
The HERS program was initiated last year with another grant that allowed researchers to test the HERS intervention’s feasibility. Now, with the NIH funding and in collaboration with investigators at Rutgers University and Thomas Jefferson University, researchers can evaluate its effectiveness.
“When we started the program, a big part of it was not just finding out whether the system would work, but also finding out some of the barriers that keep women from returning after an abnormal test,” said Suzanne Miller, PhD, the primary investigator on the project and a Professor in the Cancer Prevention and Control Research Program at Fox Chase.
“Once we identified those barriers, we could address them by tailoring the messaging to assist with whatever those issues were,” added Miller, who is conducting the research with Erin K. Tagai, PhD, MPH, an Assistant Research Professor in Miller’s lab.
While cervical cancer is highly preventable, 63% of urban, underserved minority women miss follow-up appointments following abnormal screenings. This makes cervical cancer prevention and timely diagnosis difficult because the disease requires that patients be monitored over time.
“Cervical cancer is one of the most preventable cancers when diagnosed early,” said Miller. “The survival rate at early diagnosis is nearly 100%, which is why it’s troubling that women are still being diagnosed at late stages.”
With the initial implementation of the program, rates of attendance for the first colposcopy appointment rose from 50% to about 75%. A colposcopy is a procedure to view the cervix and vagina in order to examine tissue more clearly. These procedures are typically done following an abnormal Pap test or pelvic exam.
“The feasibility stage of this work was very promising. We’re excited to be able to now take a closer look at exactly how effective this method is,” said Miller.
With this program, Miller and Tagai hope to significantly increase attendance at the first recommended follow-up after an abnormal Pap test and thereby improve patient outcomes in terms of early prevention and quality of life.
“The goal is to make this platform available to clinics and centers that serve these women so that we may see follow-up attendance for underserved populations continue to increase and ultimately save lives,” said Miller.