Prestigious award for cancer research announced
Improving care for people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
Professor Reema Harrison received the NSW Premier’s Award for Outstanding Cancer Research for Improving Equitable Outcomes through Cancer Research presented by the Cancer Institute NSW, this week.
The NSW Premier’s Award is the leading NSW awards program to celebrate excellence and innovation in cancer research.
Professor Harrison received the award for the CanEngage project, funded by Cancer Institute NSW and an NHMRC Ideas Grants, which has sought to improve cancer care for people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds (CALD).
Patients from multicultural communities are more likely to have medication errors, healthcare-associated infections, and complications of care due to communication problems, low health literacy and a multitude of systemic barriers. The project team co-designed patient engagement strategies to address safety issues for and in partnership with CALD cancer service consumers and providers in New South Wales and Victorian cancer inpatient, outpatient and day procedure services.
A key component of the CanEngage project was the development of a co-facilitator network of consumers and multilingual fieldworkers within the community with lived experience of cancer to help co-design the research project and interventions.
Learn more about the CanEngage project here.
Listen to the CanEngage co-facilitators speaking about their experience of participating in research and improving cancer care.
Catch this podcast from the MJA with Professor Harrison on how clinicians can help improve the care and treatment of patients from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
Professor Harrison is available for interview, please contact Chrissy Clay chrissy.clay@mq.edu.au
Photo caption: CanEngage project team: Dr Ashfaq Chauhan, Dr Bronwyn Newman, Ms Nadine Elkabbout (Consumer Co-facilitator, Muslim and Arabic Community Advocate, Youth Advocate), Ms Thit Tieu (Consumer Co-facilitator, Founder and Chair of Sisters’ Cancer Support Group Inc.), Ms Mashreka Sarwar (Consumer Co-facilitator, Founder/Coordinator of Raising Awareness on Health), Ms Antoinette Abdelseed (Consumer Co-facilitator, Founder Angels of Mercy Welfare Services), and Professor Reema Harrison.
CENTRES RELATED TO THIS NEWS
Centre for Health Systems and Safety Research
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT
Chrissy Clay, Media and Research Outreach Coordinator
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