“Nationally, mammography screenings have helped stabilize breast cancer incidence and mortality, yet one million Florida women over age 40 have never had a mammogram,” said Dr. Lustria. “Women of lower socio-economic status who live in rural areas and are less educated are two times more likely to be diagnosed at an advanced stage of breast cancer.”

In conjunction with the Tallahassee Memorial Cancer Center and a team of investigators at Florida State University, Dr. Lustria is conducting her research through a three-year Florida Department of Health Bankhead-Coley Cancer Research Program award. The research project, which goes by the acronym STEER for “System for Tracking, Empowering, Equipping, and Reminding,” will:

• develop a clinic-based, automated reminder system to help healthcare providers increase screening rates, give more timely referrals, and better track patients at risk; and
• improve access to breast cancer care resources within rural, non-white and lower socio-economic status populations, linking patients with resources to address their barriers to care, and empowering patients to adhere to referrals.

Similar systems have succeeded in increasing screening rates and patient adherence to screening appointments, but their sustainability in rural healthcare settings still needs investigation. Dr. Lustria is placing a high priority on developing a system that will be comprehensive and sustainable in these settings.

The research will enhance our understanding of how health IT systems should be designed to improve access among underserved populations and reduce disparities. It will evaluate the system’s usability, acceptability, and perceived benefits in a rural setting, as well as its effects on the increase of screening referrals by physicians and on adherence to screening referrals by patients.

To learn more about Dr. Mia Liza A. Lustria, go to:
http://ci.fsu.edu/faculty_staff/directory/mia_liza_lustria.asp

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