Empowering Communities

Prostate Cancer Research (PCR) is delighted to announce our new project ‘Empowering Communities’, focused on building trust in healthcare and clinical research amongst the Black community. Sponsored by AstraZeneca, the project is focused on gathering evidence around the barriers to trust and engagement with healthcare and clinical research, and we are proud to be working with community groups to co-create interventions to help address these challenges. 

Black men are disproportionately impacted by prostate cancer, with 1 in 4 men expected to be diagnosed in their lifetime. This compares with 1 in 8 White men and 1 in 12 Asian men. Despite Black men having an increased risk of developing prostate cancer, they are underrepresented in clinical research and face huge inequities in accessing relevant and inclusive information, treatment and ongoing care and support.  

Individuals may face difficulties in accessing healthcare, with barriers ranging from well documented historic distrust, a lack of culturally appropriate health information, and (in some cases) low health literacy. These barriers result in a lack of trust in healthcare, treatment and support. Although some changes have been made in recent years to improve inclusion for priority groups, trust in healthcare remains low.  

PCR Chief Executive Oliver Kemps says  

“Our upcoming report sheds light on the very real barriers to trust, particularly trust in institutions. The report shows that 82% of people from Black background link that mistrust to deep historical legacies of slavery, colonialism, and the Windrush experience. Nearly one in three have chosen not to seek care because of a negative experience in the past. 

Trust is the most valuable currency in public health, and it’s something that must be earned, not expected. Trust is shaped by the experiences we live every day. To truly build confidence and engagement, we have to confront and change the systemic inequities that persist. 

That’s why, through our partnerships with community organisations, we’re not just collecting data or doing research; we’re listening, learning, and co-creating a future where healthcare is equitable for everyone.”  

Through Empowering Communities, PCR will engage with Black men with prostate cancer in in London, North West England and West Midlands, enabling them to have a greater role in shaping research, diagnosis, treatment, and care. The project has been focused on gathering evidence around Black men’s experience of healthcare and the causes of their distrust. Together we are developing interventions that address these causes, create change and ultimately increase trust. These interventions are currently being tested. If successful, we can scale the work in areas of most need.  

Through this work, we aim to promote and increase health awareness amongst prostate cancer patients from the Black community and those at risk, and work alongside healthcare professionals to develop culturally aware and inclusive practices. We want to amplify the voices of Black leaders, engage Black patients in healthcare and clinical research, and enhance the capacity of small community-based organisations to increase their impact. We also aim to increase engagement in healthcare by providing tools that can be used by healthcare professionals and community ambassadors to reach more Black men.   

The wider, longer-term benefits of the project aim to improve cultural competency (meaning to increase understanding and respect for patients from different cultures to improve the way we communicate well with them) among healthcare professionals. We also aim to enhance collaborative relationships and the participation of Black men in healthcare and clinical research. We want to strengthen the capacity of community-based organisations, giving them to tools to advocate for healthcare engagement, improve healthcare outcomes and reduce disparities in prostate cancer care. 

Keep an eye out for project updates and outcomes coming soon.