Conectar
Despite implementation of the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NP-NCD), screening coverage for oral, breast and cervical cancers remains below 2%. Screening quality is inadequately addressed and delays in diagnosis and treatment initiation continue to persist. This multisite implementation research aims to improve district-level coverage and quality of screening, early diagnosis and timeliness of treatment initiation through a model co-developed within the NP-NCD context.
The study will be conducted in three phases across seven districts in diverse regions of India. In phase I (formative), the current status, barriers and facilitators of cancer screening, diagnosis and treatment initiation under NP-NCD will be assessed. In phase II (optimisation), a model (package of implementation strategies) will be co-developed and iteratively optimised with multistakeholder engagement at the subdistrict level to improve screening coverage and quality and strengthen the referral system for early diagnosis and treatment initiation. In phase III (scale-up and evaluation), the model will be implemented at the district level and evaluated for improvements in screening, early diagnosis and treatment initiation. A convergent mixed-methods design will be used, incorporating household surveys, facility assessments and stakeholder interviews. Implementation Research Logic Model will guide planning, execution and evaluation in the present study. Determinants of screening coverage and quality, early diagnosis and treatment initiation will be assessed using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. Implementation strategies for the model will be finalised using the Expert Recommendations for Implementing Change framework. Implementation and service outcomes will be evaluated using the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation and Maintenance framework.
Ethical approval has been obtained from all study sites. The study findings will be disseminated at the state, national and global levels through meetings and conferences and submitted to a peer-reviewed journal for publication.
CTRI/2025/08/092672.
Commentary on: Hall L. A service evaluation exploring clients’ experiences of being on a waiting list for individual psychological therapy with a community learning disability team. Br J Learn Disabil 2023;1–8. doi.org/10.1111/bld.12564
Implementing waiting-list interventions, offering regular updates on queue position and estimated wait times, and providing information about support services can alleviate the uncertainty of prolonged waits and mitigate dropouts among individuals with learning disabilities and comorbid mental conditions. Further research should pinpoint specific combinations of learning disabilities and comorbid mental health conditions that pose a heightened risk of mental health decline during therapy wait times, necessitating tailored interventions.
Prolonged wait times for accessing UK mental health services persist, flouting the National Health Service mandate of an 18-week maximum wait period for referred patients.
FreshRSS 