CANCERLESS

“Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Among the Homeless Population in Europe: Co-adapting and Implementing the Health Navigator Model” aims to improve access and participation in cancer preventive services for homeless people in Europe. Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in Europe in the general population with reports noting the cancer-related mortality twice as high in the homeless population. Reasons for this excess are linked to risky health behaviours as well as significant barriers experienced by homeless people when trying to access the often highly fragmented health care systems. Timely and evidence-based preventive strategies including optimizing health care pathways provide a solution to the high cancer mortality and could improve overall health outcomes in this underserved population. The aim of the CANCERLESS project is to deliver an innovative solution as an aggregate intervention based on the combination of the tested Patient Navigator Model and Patient Empowerment Model to create the Health Navigator Model for Europe. The Health Navigator Model is an evidence-based patient-centred intervention, which develops patient empowerment through health education and social support and promotes timely access to primary and secondary prevention services. CANCERLESS includes partner organizations with long-standing experience in working in the field of health and social care for the homeless in the south, east, northwest and central Europe, as well as academic institutions and local governments. Using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation as well as the Research and the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation and Maintenance frameworks based on implementation science know-how, the CANCERLESS project aims to reduce the gap in health inequalities for the homeless population by reducing cancer burden, which will, in turn, reduce associated costs across health and social care systems in Europe. Moreover, the CANCERLESS project aims to harness the transformative potential of the integrated care pathways in cancer as well as provide health and social care policy recommendations for the adoption and implementation of the Health Navigator Model across Europe.
The CANCERLESS project has been funded by the European Union´s Horizon 2020 Programme under Grant Agreement 965351.
To find out more, please visit the CANCERLESS website: cancerless.eu
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Key members of the Grabovac Group: Igor Grabovac (Principal Investigator, Project Coordinator), Tobias Schiffler (Postgraduate Researcher).