What are interventions that engage community health workers?

What are interventions that engage community health workers?

Interventions that engage community health workers to increase cancer screening implement one or more interventions reviewed by the CPSTF to do the following:

• Increase demand for screening services using group education, one-on-one education, client reminders, or small media
• Improve access to screening services by reducing structural barriers

Why is this important?

• Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among women in the United States.¹ Screening detects cancer at an earlier stage, when it is easier to treat.²
• In 2017, nearly 13,000 new cases of cervical cancer were reported, and more than 4,000 women died of this cancer.³ Screening tests can help prevent the disease or find it early.⁴

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in men and in women.⁵ Screening can find precancerous polyps—abnormal growths in the colon or rectum—so they can be removed before turning into cancer. Screening also helps find colorectal cancer at an early stage when treatment works best.⁶