Poster Presentation 2025 Joint Meeting of the COSA ASM and IPOS Congress

Partnering with Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Communities to Enhance Equity Assessment in Cancer Care: Refining the Nurse Equity Assessment Tool (NEAT) Through Participatory Action Research (126239)

Holly Chung 1 2 , Elizabeth Crone 1 2 , Amelia Hyatt 1 2 3 , Karla Gough 1 2 3 , Shu-Yi Soong 4 , Samantha Susa 4 , Phuong Lang 4 , Sudhir Sakhuja 4 , Sharon DeGraves 5 , Vijaya Joshi 5 , Mei Krishnasamy 1 2 5
  1. Department of Health Services Research, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
  2. Department of Nursing, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
  3. Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
  4. Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
  5. VCCC Alliance, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Sample and setting

The Nurse Equity Assessment Tool (NEAT) is nurse-led tool to systematically identify patients with complex care needs due to poor social determinants of health at point-of-care. Each evidence-based item maps to support services for identified needs. While nurses and newly diagnosed cancer patients previously endorsed the tool during clinical utility testing, patient samples were not representative of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) populations, necessitating refinement to ensure equitable care delivery across diverse populations. This study aimed to test and refine the NEAT's acceptability, appropriateness, and completeness for CALD cancer patients in Australia.

Procedures

A modified participatory action research methodology was employed, partnering directly with CALD cancer consumers throughout all phases. Phase one examined whether the NEAT was acceptable, appropriate, and complete for CALD populations. Phase two explored clinician perspectives on barriers and enablers to CALD care navigation. Phase three confirmed findings and co-developed adaptations for nurses using the NEAT to identify navigation needs with CALD patients through interviews with community health navigators and CALD cancer patients.

Results

Phase one demonstrated that the NEAT was acceptable and appropriate for CALD cancer patients, however lacked attention to care navigation challenges specific to CALD populations. Phase two identified key barriers and enablers to care navigation from clinician perspectives. Phase three confirmed these findings and successfully co-developed adaptations for nurses using the NEAT with CALD cancer patients, addressing identified gaps in healthcare navigation support and culturally responsive assessment approaches.

Conclusion and clinical implications

Participatory action research effective for partnering with CALD cancer patients. The revised NEAT represents a potentially impactful intervention to help nurses systematically identify complex access and care navigation needs, enhancing culturally sensitive care delivery for diverse cancer patients. This work demonstrates the importance of inclusive processes in developing person-centred assessment tools that address inequities across diverse populations.