Promotora Navigator – Culturally Appropriate Patient Navigator

Although there has been interval improvement in reducing disparity in mammography utilization in medically underserved communities since the 1990s, significant disparities persist and should be addressed. In the 40-65 year old age range, there is significant disparity in screening mammography utilization in Hispanic women compared to their white counterparts.

Culturally adapted patient-targeted healthcare interventions can help reduce ethnic inequalities in access to cancer screening programs. Promotoras, culturally appropriate patient navigators for the Hispanic community, have been shown to increase screening mammography rates in the Hispanic/Latino population.

However, there is little research exploring the interaction between these lay community health workers and community members. This proposal aims to assess this interaction by measuring the impact of a Promotora working with community members in either a group setting or individual setting. Understanding this interaction can lead to more effectively designed future community interventions. Primary outcomes in this study will include women's reported measures of interpersonal processes of care (communication and interpersonal style) during screening mammography care, trust in the healthcare system, and satisfaction with cancer screening care when compared to those receiving standard of care.