Focus groups with people affected by breast cancer from hard-to-reach groups

Help needed!

The Research & Evaluation team at Breast Cancer Care are looking for people to take part in focus groups across the UK.

The Better Access Better Services (BABS) project is a joint project between Breast Cancer Care and King’s College London investigating why people might not use Breast Cancer Care’s services. We are particularly interested in the barriers people from hard-to-reach groups face when trying to access services. The groups we are interested in are:

-Black and minority ethnic (BME) groups
-Older women (70+)
-Socially disadvantaged groups

The objectives of the BABS project are to:

-Research current information and support services available to breast cancer patients and identify gaps in service
-Identify examples of best practice in providing support and information among hard-to-reach groups
-Inform and develop Breast Cancer Care’s long term strategy for service development

Part of the project involves holding a series of focus groups with people affected by breast cancer from hard-to-reach groups. The focus groups has been approved by the King’s College London Research Ethics Committee (Ref no. CREC/07/08-90).

The groups will explore the information and support services provided to people affected by breast cancer, discussing information and support needs and considering how these could be better met. The role of organisations like Breast Cancer Care will be explored.

We are looking for:

-People who have been diagnosed with breast cancer or have supported a close relative or friend who has been diagnosed with breast cancer
-People who have and have not used Breast Cancer Care’s services
-People from African Caribbean or South Asian communities
-People aged over 70 years
-People living in poorer neighbourhoods

We are hoping to hold the focus groups in one of Breast Cancer Care’s national or regional centres: London, Sheffield, Glasgow or Cardiff. However, if there is interest in other parts of the UK, we may be able to hold groups elsewhere.

The focus groups will last about one and a half hours.

If you would like further information, please contact Emma at <script type=“text/javascript”>eval(unescape(‘%64%6f%63%75%6d%65%6e%74%2e%77%72%69%74%65%28%27%3c%61%20%68%72%65%66%3d%22%6d%61%69%6c%74%6f%3a%62%61%62%73%40%62%72%65%61%73%74%63%61%6e%63%65%72%63%61%72%65%2e%6f%72%67%2e%75%6b%22%3e%62%61%62%73%40%62%72%65%61%73%74%63%61%6e%63%65%72%63%61%72%65%2e%6f%72%67%2e%75%6b%3c%2f%61%3e%27%29%3b’))</script>

Thank you.

Pleased that BCC are doing this but hope you are spreading the net widely for getting people to the groups in the first places…contacts with community groups, hospitals in poorer areas. older people’s networks and charities etc. Remember too that maybe BCC should go to the groups rather than getting them to come to you. Go out to talk to pensioners’ groups and black and miority ethnic groups. We all need to remember that BME women and working class women have poorer outcomes from breast cancer.

I get the impression from these forums that there is hardly anyone over 70 using them and it would be good to have a breakdown by class/race etc.

Hope this project goes well.

best wishes…from a too typical white middle aged middle class breast cancer bit of an activist

Jane

Hi Jane

I don’t have a breakdown of the demographic of the forum members, as we do not insist on this information when people register. But I share your impression that we have relatively few older women posting and relatively few from minority ethnic groups.

If you or other forum member has any ideas which would encourage more people to post they would be very welcome.

Best wishes

Ann

Hi Ann

As I wrote earlier I think its probably about making outreach links with existing groups who already have networks. The Older Feminst Network is a very lively group of older women who are well into campagning…on their website they have a link to Ovarian Cancer Action but I couldn’t see anything about breast cancer.

best wishes

Jane

We’ve actually been able to get two Hindu ladies to our support group and that came about by my researching the translation of our website into the main languages in our city and the Head of Ethnicity happened to be Hindu and had a friend who had breast cancer and her and another lady have now been members of our group for around 18 months and we’ve all benefited from their joining our group.

I’ve emailed the info to them as it came independently to me. I’ve also just had an email from the Head of Ethnicity at our PCT as she’s also received this info but she doesn’t have access to the women from those communities so has emailed me. I’ve also forwarded it on to our breast care nurses in case there are some women who don’t come to our group but might well be interested in being involved with that.

Pinkdove

I’ve long thought that links to charities such as BCC should be given to all women diagnosed with BC so that they know where to look, at their leisure, for information on the myriad issues which affect us all. Why can’t hospitals leaflet all new patients?

Jenny.

Hi Pinkdove

Many thanks for passing on the information about the focus groups. I really appreciate everyone’s help in publicising the groups.

Best wishes

Emma

Hi Emma

No problem! I’ve had a reply back from our breast care nurses to say that they haven’t got anyone from those communities at the moment.

Pinkdove