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Julia jones matthews school of population and public health
What’s the Story Here?
Because of this, he is putting together preliminary data that could soon set in motion further research to provide more context on the types of cancer in select West Texas areas and their prevalence in certain communities.
“I like to think of it as a jumping off point – just step one or two in the process that gets a good handle on what the actual yearly numbers of new cases of cancer are in a given year,” Dennis, assistant dean for Student Affairs in the Julia Jones Matthews School of Population and Public Health, Lubbock, says.
His research began with the goal of helping the university community better understand the realities rural patients face from accessing cancer screenings to managing treatments after a cancer diagnosis.
Some obstacles are simple to imagine — like driving an hour or more for every treatment.
Others are harder to see — the strain families and caregivers experience in treatment schedules or the absence of local food pantries or church groups. Helping clinicians recognize those barriers could help positively impact the delivery of care.
“I think clinicians have that understanding, and it’s important for the whole system to understand the scope of what the barriers and challenges are so that the right support networks can be put in place,” Dennis adds.
With the UMC TLC² Foundation Cancer Center expected to open in April, Dennis hopes his data will improve knowledge of rural Texas. Understanding baseline cancer screening, incidence and mortality rates provide metrics upon which researchers can measure future progress.
Enhanced data goes beyond speculation and helps dig to the root of problems, Dennis adds. Once researchers know what issues they are dealing with, they can enhance prevention and screening efforts to target them.
“I’m doing my best to keep asking the questions: ‘What population data do we need most? How can we best tell this story?’” he says.