Recruitment of lay people as community health advisors (CHAs) has been a successful practice in the health promotion field since the early 1990s. UAB plans to turn these indigenous volunteers into research partners in a unique enhancement of their role. Edward Partridge, M.D., of the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center, will introduce the research partners through a federal Special Populations Network grant designed to help close the gap in cancer mortality between African-Americans and Whites. Research partners will work with academic investigators to develop ways to foster cancer awareness and support minority enrollment in clinical trials. "In a pilot project, CHAs have been beneficial in increasing clinic visits of women with abnormal Pap smears."
Contact Hank Black, Media Relations, 205-934-8938 or [email protected].
# # #
RSS