PULL A-HEAD: Pursuing Leadership in Literacy to Ameliorate HEAd and neck cancer Disparities

Public health practice and oral health equity has become a national priority since the release of NIDCR’s, ‘Oral Health in America: Advances and Challenges’’ (2021), which outlines the significant impact health literacy has on patient dental health behaviors, patient safety, dental outcomes, interpersonal provider-patient interaction and patient navigation of the dental care system. In this regard, we propose PULL A-HEAD, Pursuing Leadership in Literacy to Ameliorate HEAd and neck cancer Disparities. This award will support the following primary goal: To develop a community-centered, health literacy program for head and neck cancer in collaboration with the South Carolina Oral Health Coalition and our Regional Medical Library - Region 2 (RML2), National Library of Medicine partners at the Medical University of South Carolina. The program (i.e. PULL A-HEAD) will emphasize the delivery of health literacy education and health systems navigation tools to improve the early detection of head and neck cancers.  PULL A-HEAD will utilize culturally-responsive and evidence-based materials to support community-centered learning.  We will define success using the Donabedian model of process and structure.