Erin Marcus, M.D., M.P.H.
Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine
Description of Research
Dr. Marcus’ research interests focus on cancer screening and prevention and the communication of screening results. Her research interests also include health literacy and cancer screening, and disparities in cancer screening and treatment. Dr. Marcus’ clinical specialties include health maintenance, preventive medicine, primary care medicine, and women's health. She is the recipient of an American Cancer Society Cancer Control Career Development Award for Primary Care Physicians (CCCDA-09-216-01), with a research project focusing on the effective communication of mammography results. As part of her ACS CCCDA, Dr. Marcus has conducted a nationwide survey of breast imaging centers to evaluate how they communicate results. She is now developing a tool to improve communication of mammography results to low income women.
Highlights
- Analyzed readability and ease-of-use of 44 commonly used mammography result notification letters; concluded that these letters were written at a level that exceeds the reading ability of more than 50 % of the U.S. population.
- Surveyed 243 breast imaging centers nationally; found that a majority use patient navigators, but a considerable minority (>17%) do not routinely telephone any patients about results, and (>13%) lack multilingual staff or translators.
- Developing a culturally targeted video and web page to improve knowledge of what happens after a mammogram among black women
- Testing a tool to improve the communication of mammogram results in a way that is understandable to medically underserved women
- Society of General Internal Medicine Women's Health Presentation Award for the Highest-Rated Peer-Reviewed Poster Presentation in Women's Health (out of 44 posters), National SGIM Annual Meeting, Phoenix, AZ, 2011.
Selected Cancer-Related Publications
- Marcus EN, Sanders L, Pereyra M, DelToro Y, Romilly AP, Yepes M, Webb Hooper M, Jones BA. Mammography Result Letters: Are They Easy to Read and Understand? J Women’s Health 20(4): 545-551, 2011. Read more »
Programs
Collaborating in the Multidisciplinary Research Program(s):