Supervisor:
Program of Study:
PhD in Community Health
Project Title:
Health system literacy and Access: An In-Depth Analysis of Breast and Colorectal Cancer Screening Uptake Among Chinese Immigrants in Canada
Scholarships and/or Awards:
- Cancer Research Training Program (CRTP) Traineeship Award 2023
- Research and Conference funding for research graduate student, Faculty of Management – Dalhousie University, 2023
Lay Research Summary:
Breast and colorectal cancers are common and cause a lot of deaths in Canada. While they usually occur in people aged 50 or older, more young adults face these cancers due to risk factors like genetics. Early detection can improve survival, but immigrants face challenges accessing cancer screening services due to language barriers, education, cultural differences, and complexities of the healthcare system.
There is limited understanding of how well immigrants understand the Canadian health system and adhere to cancer screenings. Navigation programs could aid immigrants, but few are designed specifically for immigrants. We do not know much about how immigrants experience these programs.
This study will adapt a European Navigation Health Literacy tool to assess Chinese immigrants understanding of the Canadian healthcare system and its impact on their cancer screening decisions. The study will include focus groups with Chinese immigrants to explore their experiences with navigating programs in Canada.
Career Aspirations:
My research interests focus on oncology implementation science, drug reimbursement policy, and health literacy. Following my PhD, I intend to pursue a post-doctoral fellowship that will let me to explore new avenues of research in cancer care.
Location:
Memorial University of Newfoundland
Publications:
Vo AT, Yi Y, Mathews M, Valcour J, Alexander M, Billard M. Prioritization of patients for surgery in Canada: The case of hip and knee replacement surgeries in Newfoundland. Public Health Challenges. 2023;2(3). Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/puh2.104
Vo AT, Yi Y, Mathews M, Valcour J, Alexander M, Billard M. A single-entry model and wait time for hip and knee replacement in eastern health region of Newfoundland and Labrador 2011-2019. BMC Health Serv Res. 2022;22(1):82. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35034657/
Vo AT, Gustafson DL. Telepharmacy in oncology care: A scoping review. J Telemed Telecare. 2020;29(3):165–76. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33377820/
Vo AT, Dinh CM, Vo TQN, Do THT. Khảo sát tình trạng chuyển hóa sắt và mối quan hệ với mức độ tổn thương gan trên bệnh nhân bệnh gan mạn tính tại bệnh viện đa khoa Đồng Nai. Tạp chí Y học Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh, 18(2): 406-411 (2014). Available from: https://yhoctphcm.ump.edu.vn/index.php?Content=ChiTietBai&idBai=11741