Caitlin G Allen, Ashley Hatch, Elizabeth Hill, Suparna Qanungo, Marvella Ford, Sarah Tucker Price, LaQuisha Umemba
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Introduction: Less than half of eligible Black women are assessed for genetic risk and only 28% engage in recommended hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) risk-reducing interventions. CHWs are trusted individuals that work as a liaison between health systems and the community to improve access to services and support cancer prevention efforts, though they are an overlooked resource to support genetic risk assessment. To address the need and training gaps for CHWs, we developed and assessed an online training program to build CHW's competencies in cancer genomics and use of health information technologies to navigate high-risk individuals to appropriate genetic services.
Methods: The curriculum and 10 training modules were developed through engaging a panel of experts in a three-round Delphi process. Recruitment focused on CHWs who worked in clinical settings or groups providing outreach or health services to Black women. We assessed: changes in knowledge and attitudes about HBOC and genomics, as well as the perceptions about the quality and implementation of the training.
Results: Forty-six individuals expressed interest in the training after recruitment. Thirty eight individuals were eligible for the training and 26 completed the course. We found improvements in knowledge and genomics competencies immediately post-course, but the majority of these improvements were not sustained at 3-month follow-up. The training was highly rated for its relevance to CHW work and overall delivery. Top rated sessions included HBOC overview and family history collection. On average, participants reported discussing HBOC with 17 individuals at 3-month follow-up.
Conclusion: Championing a diverse cancer and genomics workforce can help address the goals of the National Cancer Plan to improve early detection and health equity. Through this training, CHWs gained critical cancer and genomics knowledge that was then applied to their primary roles.
期刊介绍：
''Public Health Genomics'' is the leading international journal focusing on the timely translation of genome-based knowledge and technologies into public health, health policies, and healthcare as a whole. This peer-reviewed journal is a bimonthly forum featuring original papers, reviews, short communications, and policy statements. It is supplemented by topic-specific issues providing a comprehensive, holistic and ''all-inclusive'' picture of the chosen subject. Multidisciplinary in scope, it combines theoretical and empirical work from a range of disciplines, notably public health, molecular and medical sciences, the humanities and social sciences. In so doing, it also takes into account rapid scientific advances from fields such as systems biology, microbiomics, epigenomics or information and communication technologies as well as the hight potential of ''big data'' for public health.
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