Lisa Gong and Manotri Chaubal—M.D. Candidates
Through patient narratives, our project aims to explore the impact of housing instability on several facets of cancer care, including diagnosis, continuity of care, and recovery/rehabilitation. Housing is a critical determinant of health. Recently, several studies have underscored the importance of stable housing in cancer care and outcomes. Without stable housing, individuals may face difficulty establishing consistent, long-term care. In fact, lack of housing has been shown to increase mortality rates among adults with newly diagnosed cancer. While some studies have highlighted the importance of stable housing in cancer care, no exploration to date has captured the thoughts, experiences, and stories of DC residents experiencing housing instability in their cancer journeys. Through intimate conversations with individuals grappling both with cancer and housing insecurity, we hope to capture their raw narratives in written and visual formats. Using narrative and visual storytelling as a tool, we can begin to understand policies and practices to help overcome cancer care disparities in ways that are most important to the patients themselves.