Resources for Providers and Patients

Health-disparities related sessions, abstracts, and posters are often featured at ASCO’s Annual Meeting. In addition, ASCO University offers health disparities-related content. Below are links for you to explore.

ASCO University: Access interactive learning modules including the Quality Cancer Care for Minority Populations module.

Virtual Meeting: View oral presentations, abstracts, and posters from ASCO meetings dating back to 1999, including disparities-related sessions.

ASCO offers research funding opportunities through the Conquer Cancer Foundation, including grants and awards with a focus on health disparities. Please visit the Conquer Cancer Foundation website for more details.

Below are links to selected health disparities-related publications from the Journal of Clinical Oncology and Journal of Oncology Practice. ASCO also incorporates patient-clinician communication and health disparities in its clinical practice guidelines.

Journal of Clinical Oncology

• ASCO Policy Statement: Disparities in Cancer Care (2009): ASCO’s policy statement outlining ASCO’s agenda for addressing disparities in cancer care.
• Future of Cancer Incidence in the United States: Burdens Upon an Aging, Changing Nation (2009): An article estimating the growth of cancer patients and their demographics by 2030.
• Aggregating and Partitioning Populations in Health Care Disparities Research: Differences in Perspective (2007): An analysis of research difficulties in defining disparities.
• Special Series on Disparities in Cancer Care (2006): A special issue addressing health disparities from a global perspective.

Journal of Oncology Practice

• Challenges to Assuring Access to Oncology Services (2007): An article discussing the growing disparities between oncology service supply and demand.
• Disparities in Cancer Care (2006): A cover article discussing cancer care disparities.

Health Disparities and Cancer: Information for patients about cancer disparities

Managing the Cost of Cancer Care: Information for patients and their families about the cost of cancer care

Links to other organizations' and government agencies' health disparities-related activities, including reports and cultural competency resources.

• Commission to End Health Care Disparities: Information on the Commission’s health disparities activities
• National Cancer Institute - Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities: Information and statistics on cancer health disparities and related research
• National Cancer Institute - Special Populations Networks: Information on the Special Populations Networks and their community-based cancer awareness programs to end disparities
• Intercultural Cancer Council: Information on the ICC and their efforts to eliminate the unequal burden of cancer among racial and ethnic minorities and medically underserved populations in the United States and its associated territories
• The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation - Minority Health and Health Care Disparities: Daily news on health disparities
• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality - Minority Health: Information and statistics on health disparities in the United States
• CDC - Office of Minority Health & Health Disparities: Links to CDC research and information on minority health in the United States

Reports

• AHRQ National Healthcare Disparities & Quality Reports: Released in February 2011, these describe the quality of and access to care for multiple populations within the United States 
• President's Cancer Panel: Links to annual reports by the President’s Cancer Panel, published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, and National Cancer Institute.
• Institute of Medicine’s Report on Disparities in Health Care: Information on the state of health disparities in the United States (released March 2002)

Cultural Competency Resources

• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - The Office of Minority Health: Links to a number of federal cultural competency tools
• American Medical Student Association - Enriching Medicine through Diversity: Information on diversity and cultural competency for physicians-in-training