See, Test & Treat Program

How See, Test & Treat Works

See, Test & Treat is a free cancer screening and health education program that brings the power of diagnostic medicine to medically underserved populations with the goals of:

• Addressing health disparities by reducing barriers to care for medically underserved people through health care system partnerships.

• Empowering prevention by delivering dignified cervical and breast cancer screenings—with same-day or prompt results—with a focus on health education.

• Connecting communities by linking patients and their families to a medical home and resources within their own communities.

In a single-day, culturally appropriate program, women receive a pelvic and clinical breast exam, a Pap test with same-day results, a screening mammogram with same-day or prompt results, connection to follow-up care, interpretive services, impactful health education, and translated educational materials to take home.

See, Test & Treat programs are typically a yearly event, often held on a Saturday. Each program reaches between 50 and 150 women and families, making it large enough to deliver real impact and efficiency, yet small enough to ensure a high-quality, dignified experience. The one-day approach effectively addresses barriers encountered by medically underserved women facing health disparities—those who have little to no access to preventative care—and also connects women with a medical home for the future.

What See, Test & Treat Offers Patients

Reduced Barriers to Health Care

• Not only are both cervical and breast cancer screenings offered for free to qualifying individuals, cervical cancer screening results are provided same day (usually within hours) and breast cancer screening results are provided as soon as possible, reducing the need to make multiple trips.
• If a patient does not have easy access to transportation, many programs provide free transportation through bus passes, ride share gift cards, or round-trip taxi rides.
• If a patient has low English proficiency, an interpreter will be available and, in most cases, bilingual providers and translated health materials are provided.
• To support families, many host sites incorporate children’s activities into the program.

Increased Health Knowledge and Empowerment

• Preventative screenings and health education services give attendees opportunities to learn about their own health. These opportunities can include an “Ask a Doctor” station, where women have a chance to talk with a pathologist about major contributors to cervical cancer risk, view healthy and cancerous cells through a microscope, and learn about what happens to their Pap test sample in the laboratory.
• Attendees are provided with health education that aims to increase knowledge and change attitudes regarding preventative health care, demystifying the testing process, making patients feel more connected to and comfortable with the health care system.
• Same-day results with direct patient consultations helps relieve anxiety that many medically underserved women feel about medical screenings and procedures.
  

Access to Insurance and Follow-Up Care

• Patients are typically connected with financial counselors and patient navigators that help them explore their options for health insurance or affordable health care through local resources.
• Patients with abnormal screening results receive assistance with scheduling their follow-up appointments regardless of the patient’s ability to pay. Many schedule appointments for other health care needs that come to light in their visits—from high blood pressure and diabetes care to behavioral health services and domestic violence support.

In surveys conducted by the CAP Foundation, 80% of responding participants report having a better understanding of why they should get Pap tests and mammograms, and 88% say they feel more comfortable going to the doctor as a result of attending the program.

What See, Test & Treat Offers Hosting Institutions

See, Test & Treat establishes your institution as a safe and welcoming environment where community members can understand what resources are available to them. Through this pathologist-led program, host institutions:

• Provide free and accessible breast and cervical cancer screenings
• Hold a health fair with participation from local community organizations, businesses, and stakeholders
• Offer health insurance navigation services so that participants can find a health insurance option that fits their needs

Ten years of events at a variety of institutions across the US shows that See, Test & Treat helps establish your institution as a community information hub that offers families a safe place to explore their health care options. Furthermore, hosting a See, Test & Treat program also fulfills community event obligations often required for hospitals and cancer care centers by accrediting organizations.

What See, Test & Treat Offers an Institution’s Employees, Clinicians, and Medical Students

This highly collaborative event has proven to enhance interdepartmental and employee relationships by acting as an effective team building exercise. See, Test & Treat also offers a valuable teaching experience to residents and medical students who appreciate the opportunity to interact with the public and patients while experiencing different sides of the health care system. Past medical student and resident volunteers have reported being able to assist with procedures that would have been otherwise unavailable to them and gaining valuable insight into patient care and public health issues.

To help generate the support needed to host an event, the Foundation has created a PDF to share with your leadership team and clinical partners detailing See, Test & Treat’s benefits.

See, Test & Treat Program Schedule