Lengerich Eugene J, Wyatt Stephen W, Rubio Angel, Beaulieu Joyce E, Coyne Cathy A, Fleisher Linda, Ward Ann J, Brown Pamela K
Department of Health Evaluation Sciences, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, University Park, Pa., USA.
J Rural Health. 2004 Spring;20(2):181-7. doi: 10.1111/j.1748-0361.2004.tb00026.x.
Residents of Appalachia, especially those in rural Appalachia, are generally considered to be medically underserved. In fact, cancer mortality in Appalachia, especially in rural Appalachia, is higher than it is in the remainder of the United States. Developing from the Appalachia Leadership Initiative on Cancer, the Appalachia Cancer Network (ACN) is a network of academic and community organizations that seek to conduct surveillance, intervention, and dissemination research to reduce this excess cancer burden in Appalachia. The purpose of this report is to (1) describe the approach to cancer control research in ACN, a Special Population Network, among the medically underserved of Appalachia, and (2) to put forward observations from this experience to enhance the research of other academic and community networks among underserved populations. ACN has instituted a conceptual model, organizational structure, and other methods to foster this research and to develop junior and community-based investigators. Important issues and questions related to the effectiveness of such research networks have also been articulated.
阿巴拉契亚地区的居民，尤其是阿巴拉契亚农村地区的居民，通常被认为医疗服务不足。事实上，阿巴拉契亚地区，特别是阿巴拉契亚农村地区的癌症死亡率高于美国其他地区。阿巴拉契亚癌症网络（ACN）源自阿巴拉契亚癌症领导力倡议，是一个由学术和社区组织组成的网络，旨在开展监测、干预和传播研究，以减轻阿巴拉契亚地区这种过高的癌症负担。本报告的目的是：（1）描述ACN这一特殊人群网络在阿巴拉契亚医疗服务不足人群中开展癌症控制研究的方法；（2）从这一经验中提出观察结果，以加强其他学术和社区网络在服务不足人群中的研究。ACN已经建立了一个概念模型、组织结构和其他方法来促进这项研究，并培养初级和社区研究人员。与这类研究网络有效性相关的重要问题也已阐明。
