Watering the Public Health Efforts to Optimal Breast Health and 100% Screening Compliance: A Community Needs Assessment of the Massachusetts Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure

The Massachusetts Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for Cure is committed to providing high quality breast care, achieving 100% screening compliance, and eradicating breast cancer as a life threatening disease. The assessment of breast health needs, breast screening, and breast care gaps and barriers is a critical step in achieving these important goals. This collaborative research endeavor builds on the efforts and strong relationships between key community partners, medical providers, the Massachusetts Affiliate's Board and Community Profile Committee, and the Boston Consulting Group to better elucidate the barriers to achieving optimal breast health, breast care, and 100% screening compliance.

Using a mixed-methods approach (qualitative and quantitative), this community assessment involves: 1) conducting key informant interviews and focus groups with underserved and non-underserved women within the community; and 2) analyzing secondary data of breast cancer databases. This presentation only reports the qualitative findings from the community key informant and focus group interviews. Findings revealed emerging themes around seven topical categories: important health challenges, health information sources, specific populations, screening, barriers, breast cancer survivorship, and recommendations.

Themes from each category will be discussed, along with next steps in integrating qualitative findings with quantitative data from a secondary analysis to later be used by the Massachusetts Affiliate in the development of a set of community priorities.