TY - JOUR
T1 - Understanding and Improving Knowledge of Cancer Survivorship Care Among College Providers
AU - Psihogios, Alexandra M.
AU - Pauly-Hubbard, Helen
AU - Schwartz, Lisa
AU - Ginsberg, Jill P.
AU - Hobbie, Wendy
AU - Szalda, Dava
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2017, American Association for Cancer Education.
PY - 2018/10/1
Y1 - 2018/10/1
N2 - This study aimed to assess college providers’ basic knowledge of the health risks of young adult cancer survivors (YAS) and related care guidelines and to determine whether an educational in-service is an effective platform for increasing college health providers’ knowledge about survivorship care at a large university health center. During phase 1, staff from college health centers and office of disabilities in the Philadelphia area (n = 40 staff members from 24 colleges/universities) completed a needs assessment on their experiences with YAS and preferences for education and care coordination. During phase 2, a 1-h educational in-service, informed by results of the survey, was provided to 18 health center medical providers. While most providers indicated that YAS are at risk for chronic health conditions because of cancer treatment, nearly all were unfamiliar with the content of published long-term follow-up guidelines for cancer survivorship. Over half did not have knowledge of cancer survivorship services in their area. All respondents were interested in more education on cancer survivorship care. Attendees of the in-service increased their knowledge of survivorship follow-up guidelines, awareness of local survivorship resources, and comfort with caring for YAS at posttest relative to baseline. The in-service was highly acceptable to providers and feasible to implement. College providers had little baseline knowledge of cancer survivorship guidelines, but were motivated to obtain more information. Through an educational in-service, college health providers may be better equipped to provide acute and longitudinal survivorship care to a vulnerable population who are at risk for inadequate engagement in risk-based follow-up care.
AB - This study aimed to assess college providers’ basic knowledge of the health risks of young adult cancer survivors (YAS) and related care guidelines and to determine whether an educational in-service is an effective platform for increasing college health providers’ knowledge about survivorship care at a large university health center. During phase 1, staff from college health centers and office of disabilities in the Philadelphia area (n = 40 staff members from 24 colleges/universities) completed a needs assessment on their experiences with YAS and preferences for education and care coordination. During phase 2, a 1-h educational in-service, informed by results of the survey, was provided to 18 health center medical providers. While most providers indicated that YAS are at risk for chronic health conditions because of cancer treatment, nearly all were unfamiliar with the content of published long-term follow-up guidelines for cancer survivorship. Over half did not have knowledge of cancer survivorship services in their area. All respondents were interested in more education on cancer survivorship care. Attendees of the in-service increased their knowledge of survivorship follow-up guidelines, awareness of local survivorship resources, and comfort with caring for YAS at posttest relative to baseline. The in-service was highly acceptable to providers and feasible to implement. College providers had little baseline knowledge of cancer survivorship guidelines, but were motivated to obtain more information. Through an educational in-service, college health providers may be better equipped to provide acute and longitudinal survivorship care to a vulnerable population who are at risk for inadequate engagement in risk-based follow-up care.
KW - College health
KW - Health education
KW - Survivorship
KW - Transition
KW - Young adult survivors
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85015185909&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85015185909&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s13187-017-1208-5
DO - 10.1007/s13187-017-1208-5
M3 - Article
C2 - 28299542
AN - SCOPUS:85015185909
SN - 0885-8195
VL - 33
SP - 1075
EP - 1081
JO - Journal of Cancer Education
JF - Journal of Cancer Education
IS - 5
ER -