CHWs as an intervention to increase cervical cancer screening in a community-based participatory randomized control trial in diverse South Florida

Due to limited access to care and but also lack of awareness of need for screening, Latinas, Haitians and African-American women are less likely than White women to be screened for cervical cancer. Community Health Workers (CHWs) are a promising approach to increase screening. Additionally, our prior work with CHWs found women in Miami's Little Haiti were willing to undergo Human Papilloma Virus self-sampling for cervical cancer screening. Methods: We are enrolling 600 Haitian, Black, and Hispanic women to participate in a randomized trial testing CHWs and HPV self sampling to increase cervical cancer screening. Participants receive a) standard educational materials (control group) b) home-based CHW intervention and health center linkage or c) CHW led HPV self-sampling. Community-based participatory research principles guided establishment of 3 Community Advisory Boards and placement of 3 CHWs at community health centers. Findings: In 4 months, the CHWs have evaluated over 500 minority women in the target communities for inclusion in the study. Over 33% of the women they approached have not been adequately screened for cervical cancer. They have identified 130 women who are eligible and willing to participate and 55 have already been randomized. Conclusion: Culturally and linguistically competent CHWs are an efficient mechanism to identify a sample of underserved minority women for inclusion in an RCT of cancer screening. The presentation will also focus on the CBPR principles and lessons learned from implementing our community outreach with CHWs. In the presentation, the CHWs will showcase the intervention education materials.