Creation and Effectiveness of a HeadSmart-Based Primary Provider Education Tool for Timely Pediatric CNS Tumor Diagnosis.

Abstract

Patients of minority race, ethnicity, and lower socioeconomic status experience poorer survival of pediatric CNS tumors in the US. These disparities arise in part from differences in stage of disease at diagnosis, suggesting potential for mitigation via earlier diagnosis. The UK HeadSmart campaign, designed to increase awareness of pediatric CNS tumor symptoms among primary care practitioners (PCPs) and the public, has led to a significant decrease in time to diagnosis. We adapted HeadSmart into a 30-min workshop on presentation, common symptoms, work-up, and diagnosis to investigate the intervention's value in the US. We collected demographic data on the participants, paired with a pre/post, multiple-choice assessment of their knowledge of pediatric CNS tumor diagnosis. A total of 57 providers participated in the survey; 28 completed both the pre- and post-assessments. The mean pre-workshop score was 4.12; the mean post-workshop score was 5.64 (unpaired t-test p = 0.0002). The mean improvement was 1.1 (paired t-test p = 0.0002). In summary, an educational tool based on HeadSmart is effective at increasing understanding of timely diagnosis of pediatric CNS tumors among US PCPs. Further study, refinement, and dissemination have the potential to help mitigate disparities in pediatric CNS tumor outcomes.