225671 Assets Mapping Palliative Care: The US Affiliated Pacific Islands Build on Strengths in Resource-limited Settings

Tuesday, November 9, 2010 : 2:45 PM - 3:00 PM

Jeannette Grace Koijane, MPH , Pacific Cancer Research Group (formerly NCI's Cancer Information Service), Cancer Research Center of Hawaii and Pacific CEED, Honolulu, HI
Karen A. Heckert, PhD, MPH, MSW , Pacific CEED and Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, University of Hawaii, John A. Burns School of Medicine, Honolulu, HI
Hali Robinett, MPH , Pacific Cancer Research Group (formerly NCI's Cancer Information Service), Cancer Research Center of Hawaii and Pacific CEED, Honolulu, HI
     
Significance: In the US Affiliated Pacific Islands (USAPI) cancer is often diagnosed late and treatment options are few due to limitations in human and material resources. Since 2008, the USAPI Comprehensive Cancer Control Programs (CCCP) have collaborated with Pacific Center of Excellence in the Elimination of Disparities (Pacific CEED), University of Hawaii and NCI's Cancer Information Service (CIS) to strengthen community programs and health infrastructure for cancer survivorship and palliative care. CCCP leadership recognizes the importance of palliative care in home-based and in-hospital services to ensure quality care, dignity and support through the end of life.

Methods: A series of palliative care workshops and trainings have been held in the Pacific since 2008. To help USAPI Comprehensive Cancer Coordinators and Coalitions design programs that build on cultural resilience and existing strengths rather than on deficits, Pacific CEED created a tool to ‘map' local assets. The tool is user-friendly and helps program planners select existing resources, identify gaps, avoid duplication and make decisions to prioritize filling the gaps.

Results: The tool has been well received and adapted for various USAPI workshops. Analysis of assets mapping results shows the USAPI have strong families and faith-based communities which can contribute to health programs. Participants are often surprised to learn of previously unidentified resources and collaboration opportunities.

Implications: Assets Mapping can be a powerful planning and decision-making tool to enable the USAPI and potentially other resource-constrained settings to acknowledge their strengths and implement resource-appropriate programs thus increasing the likelihood of success.

Learning Areas:
Chronic disease management and prevention
Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice
Diversity and culture
Program planning
Provision of health care to the public
Public health or related organizational policy, standards, or other guidelines

Learning Objectives:
1. Identify components of the assets mapping tool for use in palliative care planning in the Pacific. 2. Describe an alternative setting where the tool can be replicated.

Keywords: Community Health Planning, Decision-Making

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am the Technical Program Officer for Pacific CEED, the Pacific Cancer Research Group, (the former Cancer Information Service, Pacific Region A Program of the National Cancer Institute serving Hawaii and the U.S. Associated Pacific Islands) UH Cancer Research Center of Hawaii.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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