Young Breast Cancer Survivors Program Educates Health Care Providers
In 2019, CDC funded eight organizations for 5 years to provide structured support services and resources for young breast cancer survivors (YBCS) and metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients. These services and resources are designed to increase their survival and improve their quality of life. These organizations also provide educational resources for health care providers who serve this population.
Programs provided or facilitated educational opportunities for health care providers by—
- Conducting an environmental scan to learn about existing educational opportunities.
- Promoting existing provider education opportunities that were approved by CDC.
- Developing new educational opportunities based on results from their environmental scans.
Progress Toward Outcomes
Award Recipients Conducted Environmental Scans
Award recipients identified gaps in educational materials and reviewed the quality of existing materials.
- Sharsheret conducted key informant interviews and focus groups to determine equality of educational opportunities.
- Breast Cancer Resource Center, Living Beyond Breast Cancer, and Sharsheret used the environmental scan results to identify gaps in provider education and determine intended audiences.
- Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered (FORCE) conducted a scan that resulted in identifying opportunities to obtain 29 continuing education units (CEUs).
Award Recipients Promoted Existing Educational Opportunities
Award recipients promoted educational materials for health care providers and opportunities via existing websites, social media, and email distribution lists.
Award Recipients Offered Trainings
Award recipients conducted trainings for health providers on a variety of topics, including cancer survivor support, the unique needs of YBCS, and navigating financial impacts.
- FORCE promoted 8 CEU opportunities for health care providers.
- University of Illinois engaged more than 20 clinicians in educational opportunities.
Facilitators and Barriers to Implementation
Facilitators
- Formative research such as an environmental scan, needs assessment, and other data helped inform program planning and activities.
- Technology allowed award recipients to train health care providers remotely.
Barriers
- Due to variations in accreditation, some award recipients had trouble identifying accrediting bodies to partner with to provide continuing education options for trainings.
Barriers Related to the COVID-19 Pandemic
- No in-person activities could take place.
- Staff were assigned to other activities.
- Project partners and health care infrastructure were strained.
- Access to health care providers was limited and recruitment was low.
Program Spotlights
Cultural Competency Trainings
Sharsheret partnered with the Association of Oncology Social Workers, the Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains, the Association of Oncology Nurse Navigators, and the New Hampshire Social Worker Oncology Group to present cultural competency trainings that offered continuing education credit.
Continuing Education Credits
Sharsheret developed a training course and applied for accreditation to offer continuing education credits to social workers, physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners.