ABSTRACT
Primary care gynecologists are increasingly integrated into the care of patients with hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) risks. These physicians should not only have basic genetic knowledge; they should also feel able to sensitively address an increased HBOC risk and deal with emotional, stressful situations in this context. Our project aimed at developing a training module, 'iKNOWgynetics', addressing psychosocial challenges in the context of HBOC care for primary care gynecologists. We developed the psychosocial training module in three phases: first, we conducted an online survey with n = 35 women with a family history of breast or ovarian cancer to assess patients' experiences and needs. Second, based on the results of the needs assessment, we developed the training module. Third, we evaluated the training by assessing physicians' (n = 109) self-efficacy with regard to communication skills in the context of HBOC before and after the training. In the needs assessment, seven psychosocial themes emerged. These themes, complementing a review of the literature, informed the training curriculum. The training was divided into two parts: (1) communicating with women before genetic testing and (2) care co-management for women with HBOC after genetic testing. After the training, participants reported a significant increase in self-efficacy in three domains: communicating empathetically, educating patients in a comprehensible way and dealing with emotionally challenging situations. Our results highlight the relevance of psychosocial issues for patients with HBOC. A genetic literacy training module that integrates aspects of psychosocial care increases physicians' confidence in dealing with emotionally challenging situations before and after their patients' genetic testing. Thus, such trainings may improve the care of women with hereditary cancer risks.
ABSTRACT
Familial cancer burden and genetics play an increasingly important role in the early detection and prevention of gynecological cancers. However, people with hereditary cancer risks are often identified late when they already have cancer. We aimed at developing and evaluating a training concept for primary care gynecologists-iKNOWgynetics-to improve their knowledge and awareness of genetic cancer syndromes and their ability to identify patients with increased familial cancer risks based on up-to-date evidence and current guidelines (in Germany, primary care includes all doctors treating patients on an outpatient basis without a clear separation of the expertise of the doctor or of their specialty). Starting off with a needs assessment among primary care gynecologists, we developed and evaluated an online training concept-using a web-based learning platform in combination with a live virtual seminar-to convey practice-relevant knowledge about familial cancer. After registration, participants get access to the web-based learning platform (www.iknowgynetics.de) to prepare for the virtual seminars and to use it as online reference to re-access the contents after the training. Evaluation included multiple-choice (MC) questions on knowledge and participants' self-efficacy to implement the acquired knowledge, which were administered in a pre-post design. Of 109 participants, 103 (94.5%) filled out pre- and post-questionnaires. Eighty-five participants were gynecologists in primary care from Berlin (81.2%) and Brandenburg (18.8%) and had an average of 24.1 years (SD = 8.5 years) of professional experience. After the training, participants answered significantly more knowledge questions correctly (M = 15.2 of 17, SD = 1.3) than before (M = 13.8 of 17, SD = 1.7) (p < 0.01) and felt more confident to be able to apply referral criteria for specialized counseling in practice (p < 0.001). The online-based training iKNOWgynetics considers the busy schedule of primary care gynecologists and supports them in acquiring practice-relevant information on familial cancer risks and on how to identify healthy persons at risk, which may ultimately help to improve the prevention of gynecological cancers. In future studies, the reported concept could be transferred to other entities.
