ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Less than half of eligible Black women are assessed for genetic risk and only 28% engage in recommended hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) risk-reducing interventions. CHWs are trusted individuals that work as a liaison between health systems and the community to improve access to services and support cancer prevention efforts, though they are an overlooked resource to support genetic risk assessment. To address the need and training gaps for CHWs, we developed and assessed an online training program to build CHW's competencies in cancer genomics and use of health information technologies to navigate high-risk individuals to appropriate genetic services. METHODS: The curriculum and 10 training modules were developed through engaging a panel of experts in a three-round Delphi process. Recruitment focused on CHWs who worked in clinical settings or groups providing outreach or health services to Black women. We assessed: changes in knowledge and attitudes about HBOC and genomics, as well as the perceptions about the quality and implementation of the training. RESULTS: Forty-six individuals expressed interest in the training after recruitment. Thirty eight individuals were eligible for the training and 26 completed the course. We found improvements in knowledge and genomics competencies immediately post-course, but the majority of these improvements were not sustained at 3-month follow-up. The training was highly rated for its relevance to CHW work and overall delivery. Top rated sessions included HBOC overview and family history collection. On average, participants reported discussing HBOC with 17 individuals at 3-month follow-up. CONCLUSION: Championing a diverse cancer and genomics workforce can help address the goals of the National Cancer Plan to improve early detection and health equity. Through this training, CHWs gained critical cancer and genomics knowledge that was then applied to their primary roles.
Subject(s)
Community Health Workers , Genomics , Humans , Female , Community Health Workers/education , Genomics/education , Genomics/methods , Adult , Middle Aged , Breast Neoplasms/genetics , Curriculum , Ovarian Neoplasms/genetics , Ovarian Neoplasms/prevention & control , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice , Neoplasms/genetics , Male , Clinical CompetenceABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Individuals experiencing chronic homelessness with a chronic health condition may qualify for permanent supportive housing (PSH). Given limited PSH resources, it is important to identify priority programming with demonstrated effectiveness. OBJECTIVES: A community-academic partnership was formed to address the priority health needs of individuals living in PSH. METHODS: Community stakeholders identified diabetes self-management as a priority health need. Wisdom, Power, Control (WPC), an evidence-based diabetes self-management program, was piloted for seven weeks with diabetic (type 2) or prediabetic PSH residents. A survey was administered at baseline and program completion. HbA1c was assessed at baseline and 3-month follow-up. RESULTS: Those who completed the Program (N = 10), reported a significant increase in diabetes knowledge, self-efficacy and foot self-care. The average hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) of the participants significantly decreased from 8.86 to 6.88. CONCLUSIONS: Pilot data from this study provides an example of a community-academic partnership that improved the health of individuals in PSH through evidence-based programming.
