Health After Cancer: An Innovative Continuing Medical Education Course Integrating Cancer Survivorship Into Primary Care.

PROBLEM

The transition from oncology care back to primary care after cancer therapy is challenging for cancer survivors who seek services that address the effect of their cancer history on their present health. Lack of knowledge about the health needs of cancer survivors is a barrier to incorporating survivorship care into primary care practice. Formal training in cancer survivorship is rarely included in medical education and presents an opportunity for intervention.

APPROACH

The authors developed (January 2019-March 2020) an online continuing medical education (CME) course for primary care physicians (PCPs) that launched in April 2020. Course design and content were informed by critically reviewing cancer survivorship CME courses and understanding cancer survivors' clinical experiences in a primary care setting. The course aims to pique learners' interest through a concise, practical educational experience using peer-to-peer primary care-focused instruction in a case-based, multimedia-enriched format. In the course, 4 patient cases illustrate the physical and psychological effects of cancer treatment, and a primary care narrator demonstrates ways to approach these concerns during a clinic visit, providing tips for empathic communication with cancer survivors. The course development team-including a PCP, medical and pediatric oncologists, and medical educators with expertise in instructional design-used an iterative process to review and revise the content. PCPs and specialists reviewed the script and provided constructive feedback that was incorporated into revisions.

OUTCOMES

The authors will evaluate course effectiveness based upon user experience and perceived effect on clinical practice and professional growth. A follow-up survey will assess barriers to course completion and durability of effect.

NEXT STEPS

Future directions include dissemination of the course to a broader audience including medical trainees, evaluation of higher-level learning outcomes (e.g., effect on PCPs' clinical practice), and adaptation of the course for patients with a focus on self-management.