Posted • Last updated
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Commitment: Long-term
Connection method: Virtual
Open to Interior Region, Northern Region
Last updated
Volunteer Opportunity
Help a team understand risk factors and contribute to the development of a risk communication platform (website or infographic) that will help British Columbians to avoid cancer. By becoming an advisor for this study, you will help researchers understand what people should know about their risk of getting lung cancer or other disease so they can build better lung cancer prevention and screening programs.
Lead Organization/Department
Simon Fraser University, Faculty of Health Sciences
Aim
Advisory group members will help researchers understand what people need to know about to help design better screening programs – this project will improve the delivery of screening programs and health services to support smoking cessation
Level of Engagement
This opportunity is at the level of collaborate on the spectrum of engagement. The promise to you is that the health care partner will work together with you to formulate solutions and incorporate your advice and recommendations into the decisions to the maximum extent possible.
Eligibility
Open to patient partners from the Northern region who:
• Comfort with sharing and hearing people’s experience with tobacco use, vaping, radon and/or air pollution exposures
• Have access to and are comfortable using technology (assistance provided)
If you have a strong interest in this work but have not yet completed a PVN orientation and Volunteer Agreement, are unsure if your experience is a good fit or feel another format of engagement would work better with your availability, please contact Cathy Almost.
Logistics
• Number of vacancies: 3
• Date and Time: Monthly meetings (total of 8 meetings- 1.5hours) over the course of a year, starting in March, 2021
• Location: Online – Video Conference or phone
• Commitment: one year
• Meet and Greet will be part of the selection process
Reimbursement
If you would like to participate in this opportunity and have concerns about your internet provider and data limit, please contact Cathy Almost at calmost@bcpsqc.ca, otherwise no expenses are anticipated.
Background
Lung cancer and other lung disease can be devastating. We can screen for lung diseases but screening programs don’t work well for everyone – we need to understand how to explain lung disease risk factors to people who smoke and other people at high risk for lung disease.
Respiratory illnesses, such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lung cancer account for the leading causes of preventable deaths in British Columbia. Scientists can now identify people who are at a high risk of developing these devastating illnesses early on when it is possible to prevent, cure or slow the progression of disease. However, prevention and early detection programs, don’t reach all members of the population equally. In addition, environmental radon and air pollution increase the risk of developing respiratory illnesses for people living in some areas of the province. This study is motivated by the need to expand the reach of prevention and early detection programs through risk communication. Our experienced team of researchers, community stakeholders, trainees, and knowledge translation specialists will define the risk information that is needed for future research and for communicating in clinical and community-based settings. Together, we will convene an advisory committee to design the AIRWISE risk communication platform potentially either a website or infographic.
