The Isbaar Project

In a partnership between University of Washington, the University of Minnesota, M Health Fairview and People's Center Clinics and Services, this study will assess the implementation of an HPV self-sampling intervention in primary care that is culturally-tailored for Somali women and designed to increase cervical cancer screening participation. Primary care clinic-based HPV self-sampling could effectively increase cervical cancer screening rates in Somali women by positioning providers to address some key screening barriers, enabling clinics to opportunistically fit in HPV self-sampling in the clinical encounter, and providing an alternative modality for patients.
Study Aims:
- Use focus groups and semi-structured interviews to assess the patient-, provider-, clinic- and system-level factors that may influence Somali women’s uptake of HPV self-sampling.
- Implement an HPV self-sampling intervention for Somali women in three primary care clinics and compare changes in women’s screening uptake pre and post intervention with M-Health Fairview control clinics followed over the same time period.
- Conduct semi-structured interviews to assess the barriers and facilitators to implementation of HPV self-sampling in primary care for Somali women, and use an implementation science approach to develop a model of implementation.
Timeframe:
- The study will be conducted in over 4 ½ years, from June 2021 – December 2025
Partners Involved:
- M Health Fairview Clinic - Smiley's, Minneapolis, MN
- People’s Center Clinics & Services, Minneapolis, MN
- Community-University Health Care Clinic, Minneapolis, MN
Project Team
Multiple Principal Investigators
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Rebekah Pratt, PhD | University of MN
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Rachel Winer, PhD | University of Washington
Co-Investigators
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Rahel Ghebre, MD, MPH | University of MN
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Tim Ramer, MD | MHealth Fairview, Smiley's Family Medicine Clinic
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Adam Szpiro, PhD | University of Washington
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Bryan Weiner, PhD | University of Washington
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Sophia Yohe, MD | University of MN
Research Staff
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Christina Bliss Barsness | University of MN | Project Manager
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Kristi Fordyce | University of MN | Research Facilitator
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John Lin | University of Washington | Data Manager
Consultants
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Jay Desai, PhD, MPH | MN Department of Health
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Wali Dirie | Islamic Civic Society of America (ICSA)
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Anisa Ibrahim, MD | Washington State Somali Health Board & Harborview Pediatric Clinic Seattle
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Imam Sharif Mohamed | Dar al-Hijra Islamic Center
Publications
1. Pratt, R., Barsness, C. B., Lin, J., Desai, J., Fordyce, K., Ghebre, R., Hassan, F., Ibrahim, A., Ramer, T., Szpiro, A., Weiner, B. J., Xiong, S., Yohe, S., & Winer, R. L. (2024). Integrating HPV self-collect into primary care to address cervical cancer screening disparities. Preventive Medicine Reports, 38, 102599. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2024.102599
2. Lin, J., Winer, R. L., Barsness, C. B., Desai, J., Fordyce, K., Ghebre, R., Ibrahim, A. M., Mohamed, S., Ramer, T., Szpiro, A. A., Weiner, B. J., Yohe, S., & Pratt, R. (2024). Design of a pragmatic trial integrating human papillomavirus (HPV) self-sampling into primary care to reduce cervical cancer screening disparities in Somali American individuals: The Isbaar project. Contemporary Clinical Trials, 148, 107754. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cct.2024.107754
In The News
- Cervical cancer self-collect screening could be a game changer for healthcare access | Masonic Cancer Center
- Dr Rebekah Pratt Interviews in MinnPost about Cancer Screening in Somali Communities
- U of M Medical School Earns $2.9 Million to Reduce Cervical Cancer Screening Disparities in Somali Women- EurekAlert!
- UMN Internal News Release on Funding Award to Study Cervical Cancer Screening Disparities
- NCI Clinical Trial Awarded to Reduce Cervical Cancer Screening Disparities in Somali American Women