Evidence-based Participatory Decision Making for Cancer Prevention through implementation research

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancer types and its increased occurrence may be attributable to adverse health behaviors, especially in lower socioeconomic status populations. Stemming from the specific risk factors identified with CRC, ONCODIR integrates multidisciplinary research methods from health policy analytics; social and behavioural science; AI-powered multi-omics and retrospective data analytics as well as decision support theories to deliver evidence-based cancer prevention programmes and innovative AI-powered personalised prevention approaches. ONCODIR recognises that the evaluation of the ONCODIR prevention programmes needs to address cost effectiveness, affordability and cost benefit parameters. Thus it will also investigate cost balancing and demand generating financial schemes that will lead to enhanced CRC prevention programmes. The coherent technological ecosystem that ONCODIR is developing is based on robust AI trustworthiness and privacy preserving principles to deploy recommendation services that will be specified by citizens, health policy actors and SSH experts, during three design thinking workshops. SSH research will address aspects such as the life-status, nutritional and social habits in tandem with Economics, Sociology and Local/Regional Cultural identity and Ethics. ONCODIR’s results will be validated in three Laboratory Integration Tests (LITs) and three Large-scale Intervention Pilots (LIPs) in five EU member states, with the active involvement of medical scientists, health care providers, foundations and consortium experts. The ONCODIR consortium is composed of complementary partners, coming from multidisciplinary research, technological and SSH domains, with a proven track record of high-quality research capacity. The carefully structured workplan, embodies a holistic approach toward meeting the ONCODIR objectives and delivering feasible policy-supporting outcomes of significant exploitation potential. This action is part of the Cancer Mission cluster of projects on ‘Prevention and early detection.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the 3^rd most common type of cancer worldwide and its occurrence is increasing, especially in populations with lower socioeconomic status, due to unhealthy dietary habits and lifestyle among others. The research project ‘ONCODIR: Evidence-based Participatory Decision Making for Cancer Prevention through implementation’ will identify risk factors associated with colorectal cancer and will integrate multidisciplinary research methods and technologies (including health policy analytics, artificial intelligence and decision support theories) to deliver evidence-based and personalised recommendations on colorectal cancer prevention.

The project will aim to accomplish these objectives:

IDENTIFY main correlations, barriers and significant factors of CRC

ENSURE equal an affordable access to cancer prevention strategies for everyone between and within EU countries

PROVIDE innovative AI-powered personalised prevention approaches

ENHANCE the ongoing evidence-based CRC prevention programmes for precise CRC primary prevention

ESTABLISH risk-based stratification for citizens considering structural and behavioural intervention through participatory approach

DESIGN intelligent monitoring tools for policy makers through a participatory co-designing approach

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

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