My research activities encompass three main themes:
1) measurement and recruitment issues when conducting research in ethnically diverse populations; 2) the interpersonal processes of care that occur during medical encounters; and 3) cancer control research in underserved populations.  I am presently working with several community organizations to develop and test community-based models for providing psychosocial support services to Latinos affected by cancer.  I am also interested in assessing and improving physician-patient communication to facilitate patient-centered care for underserved populations. 

Top 10 Publications Relevant to MERC

• Chang SW, Kerlikowske K, Nápoles-Springer AM, Posner SF, Sickles EA, Pérez-Stable EJ.  Racial differences in timeliness of follow-up after abnormal screening mammography. Cancer 1996; 78(7):1395-1402.

• Nápoles-Springer AM, Pérez-Stable EJ, Washington E.  Risk factors for invasive cervical cancer in Latino women. J Med Systems 1996; 20(5):277-293.

• Pérez-Stable EJ, Nápoles-Springer AM, Miramontes JM.  The effects of ethnicity and language on medical outcomes of patients with hypertension or diabetes. Medical Care 1997; 35(12):1212-1219.

• Stewart A, Nápoles-Springer AM, Posner SF, Pérez-Stable EJ, Bindman AB, Pinderhughes H, Washington AE.  Interpersonal processes of care in diverse populations, Milbank Quarterly 1999; 77(3):305-339.

• Nápoles-Springer AM, Grumbach K, Alexander M, Moreno-John G, Forté D, Rangel-Lugo M, Pérez-Stable EJ.  Clinical research in older African Americans and Latinos: Perspectives from the community, Research on Aging 2000; 22(6):668-691.

• Nápoles-Springer AM, Stewart AL.  Use of health-related quality of life measures in older and ethnically diverse U.S. populations, Journal of Mental Health & Aging 2001; 7(1):173-179.

• Cabral, DN, Nápoles-Springer AM, Miike R, McMillan A, Sison JD, Wrensch MR, Pérez-Stable EJ, Wiencke JK.  Population and community-based recruitment of African Americans and Latinos: The San Francisco Bay Area Lung Cancer Study.  American Journal of Epidemiology, 2003;158:272-9.

• Stewart AL, Nápoles-Springer AM.  Advancing health disparities research: can we afford to ignore measurement issues?  Medical Care, 2003;41:1207-1220.

• Nápoles-Springer AM, Fongwa MN, Stewart AL, Pérez-Stable EJ.  The effectiveness of an advance notice letter on the recruitment of African Americans and Whites for a mail satisfaction survey.  Journal of Aging and Health (in press).

• Nápoles-Springer AM, Santoyo J, Houston K, Pérez-Stable EJ, Stewart AL.  Patients’ perceptions of cultural factors affecting the quality of their medical encounters. Health Expectations (in press).