Department of Internal Medicine, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA.
Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Division of Epidemiology, Mayo Clinic Arizona, Phoenix, AZ, USA.
Cancer Causes Control. 2023 Dec;34(Suppl 1):7-13. doi: 10.1007/s10552-023-01808-6. Epub 2023 Oct 18.
This article highlights the importance of pausing and reflecting on one's motivation, capacity, and positionality when engaging in health equity research and encourages researchers to engage in critical self-reflection and contribute to the ongoing dialogue on the ethical conduct of health equity-focused cancer research. In response to the urgent need to address health disparities and improve health equity in cancer survivorship care, the Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network (CPCRN) Survivorship workgroup discussed developing a study focused on understanding how racism impacts patient engagement in cancer survivorship care. However, during the study's development, the workgroup recognized limitations in research team composition and infrastructure. The workgroup engaged in critical self-reflections, individually and collectively, leading to the halting of the research study. Consequently, they redirected their efforts towards strengthening the necessary infrastructure for conducting such research, including diverse investigator representation and equitable partnerships with cancer survivors. The description of this process, along with suggestions for reflection, may be helpful and informative to other researchers and research networks seeking to center marginalized voices and work in partnership to address healthcare and health equity.
这篇文章强调了在进行健康公平研究时，暂停和反思自己的动机、能力和定位的重要性，并鼓励研究人员进行批判性自我反思，为健康公平为重点的癌症研究的道德行为的持续对话做出贡献。为了应对解决癌症生存者护理中的健康差异和提高健康公平的迫切需要，癌症预防和控制研究网络 (CPCRN) 生存者工作组讨论了开展一项研究，以了解种族主义如何影响患者参与癌症生存者护理。然而，在研究的发展过程中，工作组认识到研究团队组成和基础设施方面的局限性。工作组进行了个人和集体的批判性自我反思，导致研究暂停。因此，他们将精力重新集中在为进行此类研究建立必要的基础设施上，包括有不同研究人员代表和与癌症幸存者的公平伙伴关系。描述这个过程，并提出反思的建议，可能对其他寻求将边缘化声音置于中心地位并合作解决医疗保健和健康公平问题的研究人员和研究网络有帮助和信息性。
