Results of the George Washington University cancer center's comprehensive cancer control cancer communication mentorship program and implications for future practice

Dao Duong, GW Cancer Center, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, The George Washington University, 800 22nd Street NW, Suite 8000, Washington, DC, 20052, USA.
Danielle Agraviador, American Institutes for Research, Arlington, VA, USA.
Charlene Cariou, Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, Division of Public Health, Boise, ID, USA.
Maria George, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Cancer Prevention and Control, Lansing, MI, USA.
Miriam Karanja, Arkansas Cancer Coalition, Little Rock, AR, USA.
Kanako Kashima, GW Cancer Center, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, The George Washington University, 800 22nd Street NW, Suite 8000, Washington, DC, 20052, USA.
Sarah Kerch, GW Cancer Center, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, The George Washington University, 800 22nd Street NW, Suite 8000, Washington, DC, 20052, USA.
Mohammad Khalaf, Global Health Department, Milken Institute School of Public Health, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA.
Brad Love, Center for Health Communication, School of Advertising and Public Relations, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
Lauren McCauley-Hixenbaugh, West Virginia University Cancer Institute, Morgantown, WV, USA.
Serena Phillips, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Susana Ramirez, School of Social Sciences, Humanities, and Arts,, Public Health Department, University of California, Merced, Merced, CA, USA.
Angela Sy, John A Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI, USA.
Irish Tutii, Comprehensive Cancer Control Program, Bureau of Public Health, Palau Ministry of Health, Koror, Republic of Palau.
Aubrey Van Kirk Villalobos, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD, USA.
Mandi L. Pratt-Chapman, GW Cancer Center, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, The George Washington University, 800 22nd Street NW, Suite 8000, Washington, DC, 20052, USA. mandi@gwu.edu.

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

5-17-2022

Journal

Cancer causes & control : CCC

DOI

10.1007/s10552-022-01586-7

Keywords

Cancer control; Cancer risk reduction; Cancer screening; Mentorship

Abstract

PURPOSE: The Comprehensive Cancer Control Cancer Communication Mentorship Program ("Mentorship Program") was created by the George Washington University Cancer Center (GWCC) to provide technical assistance (TA) in implementing evidence-based cancer screening communication interventions and support networking for comprehensive cancer control (CCC) professionals. The Mentorship Program matched entry-to mid-level CCC professionals with health communication and/or CCC experts and offered monthly web-based discussions with academic researchers and practitioners who shared their knowledge and provided applied learning opportunities throughout mentees' project planning, implementation and evaluation. The program objective was for mentees to improve health communication skills and apply evidence-based knowledge to reduce the burden of cancer. METHODS: A mixed methods evaluation was conducted, including a qualitative description of each project and its outcomes as well as quantitative measures of satisfaction with the program and self-rated changes in competence. RESULTS: Mentees represented the following locations: New Jersey, Arkansas, Michigan, West Virginia, and Republic of Palau. Project topics ranged from increasing Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccinations to increasing screening uptake for colorectal cancer, lung cancer, cervical cancer, and breast cancer. Evaluation results from pre- and post-program communication competency self-assessments and mid- and post-program surveys revealed that the Mentorship Program advanced personal and professional goals and improved public health communication skills. CONCLUSION: The Mentorship Program achieved its objectives for peer networking and offering expert TA in cancer prevention and control communication, offering a promising model for others involved in supporting implementation of evidence in practice.

Department

Medicine

Link to Full Text

Share

COinS