Congress Abstracts 2006

222

ENHANCING CLINICAL TRIALS EDUCATION FOLLOWING EVALUATION OF ONGOING PROGRAMS. Linda Krebs, RN, PhD, AOCN^®, University of Colorado School of Nursing, Denver, CO; Linda Burhansstipanov, MSPH, DrPH, Native American Cancer Research, Pine, CO; Eduard Gamito, BS, University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center, Denver, CO; and Alice Bradley, MA, National Cancer Institute's Cancer Information Service, Rocky Mountain, Colorado Springs, CO.

Participation in cancer clinical trials (CCTs) is estimated at 4%-5% of those eligible to participate. Current participants tend to be white, male and highly educated. Women, minorities and the medically underserved have lower rates of participation. Increasing CCT participation can potentially impact cancer treatment outcomes as well as overall survival and quality of life for those with cancer.

The purpose of this presentation is to describe how the outcomes of two CCT education programs enhanced the implementation of the CCT component of a web-based cancer survivorship education program for Native Americans.

Two CCT education programs were developed and implemented over the past five years. One program was designed to educate healthcare providers about CCTs while the second was designed to aid Native Americans in informed decision making about CCT participation. The third program, currently being implemented, is designed to enhance cancer survivorship for Native Americans and others through an interactive web-based education program. Each program uses a modular format to provide information on CCTs. The first two include didactic and interactive components provided in a seminar format; the third is a modular component of a larger educational intervention.

Initial evaluation of the CCT education programs used paper/pencil surveys for demographics, pre/post-test knowledge and general satisfaction. In 2002, evaluation began with an audience response system (ARS) that allowed for general data collection as well as assessment of knowledge, attitudes and beliefs through the ARS polling functions.

In addition to increasing knowledge about CCTs for healthcare professionals and Native Americans who participated in the curricula, evaluation allowed the project team to better understand the attitudes and beliefs about CCT participation of these populations. This information has been used to develop the CCT component for those taking part in the interactive web-based cancer survivorship/quality of life program. The educational materials from the two CCT curricula are available through the Web for use in education programs and the web-based program can be reviewed by any healthcare provider. Having previously evaluated and readily available CCT information can facilitate the oncology nurse's ability to educate patients, families and the public about CCTs and hopefully increase appropriate participation.