Leveraging virtual communities of practice for cancer control in Africa: experiences from the Africa Cancer Research and Control ECHO.

Abstract

Background: The growing burden of cancer in Africa requires innovative approaches for enhancing the cancer workforce on the continent. Virtual communities of practice (VCoPs) are one such approach that can be utilised for continuous professional development, networking and sharing of cancer knowledge and best practices among different stakeholders.

Objectives: To describe the experiences of a cancer VCoP, the Africa Cancer Research and Control ECHO, and illustrate short- and long-term outcomes that are relevant to enhancing the cancer workforce in Africa.

Methods: We collected quantitative and qualitative data about the 2022/2023 Africa Cancer ECHO through (i) statistics from the video conferencing platform (number of participants per session) and (ii) a cross-section survey at the end of the curriculum year in June 2023 (participants' feedback about the sessions, learning and use of the knowledge and network from the ECHO). We also compared these data with evaluations of the ECHO from previous years, and conducted interviews with core community members to understand long-term outcomes regarding professional networking and collaboration.

Results: The African Cancer ECHO has been running since 2018. Members meet regularly online to discuss different aspects of cancer control through didactical and case presentations. In 2022/2023, twelve 90-minute monthly sessions were held with an average of 33 attendees per session and 200 unique individuals from 14 African countries overall, plus additional representation from outside of Africa.Over the 4 years (2019/2020 to 2022/2023), different cancer control stakeholders participated in the Africa Cancer ECHO, including advocates, patients, clinicians, researchers and cancer planners. For each year, about 30% of the participants were new to the ECHO. The respondents were positive about the ECHO sessions and in agreement with the ECHO's learning and networking outcomes 70%-90% of the time. The interviews revealed long-term, practical outcomes of the Africa Cancer ECHO, including securing research funding, initiation of a new community of practice to specifically address cancer survivorship in Africa and scientific research collaborations resulting in at least six peer-reviewed publications and several conference abstracts.

Conclusion: VCoPs, such as the Africa Cancer ECHO, have the potential to contribute to human resource capacity-building for cancer control in Africa through accessible and convenient peer learning, professional networking and collaboration. However, the identification and use of more robust evaluation tools and methods may provide a more comprehensive assessment of all of their benefits, including short and long-term outcomes.