Translating new science into the community to promote opportunities for breast and cervical cancer prevention among African American women.

BACKGROUND: New evidence has found breast and cervical cancer risk factors unique to African American women. Thus, there is a significant need to increase their knowledge and understanding of relevant risk factors and the potential protective benefits associated with breast-feeding and HPV vaccination. The National Witness Project is a robust, evidence- and community-based lay health advisor programme that uses group education, navigation and survivor narratives to increase cancer screening among diverse underserved women. METHODS: A multi-phase, community-based participatory research study was conducted across three sites in Buffalo, NY, New York City and Arkansas between October 2016 and January 2017. Pre-/post-test surveys were administered during volunteer trainings and community programmes. An evaluation survey was also administered at the Annual Meeting for Education and Networking. Paired sample t tests were used to compare pre-/post-test survey scores. RESULTS: Trainee survey results showed the overall mean per cent correct pre-/post-test scores were 47.7% (SD: 21.87) and 79.2% (SD: 16.14). Altogether, 31 educational programmes reached 332 community participants. Participants' breast and cervical cancer knowledge scores were significantly higher after the education programme (84.4%) than before (55.3%) with a mean change score of 29% (P ≤ .001). CONCLUSION: This paper reveals the underlying complexities to update the educational curriculum content of a multi-site, community-based outreach organization. The new curriculum significantly improved African American women's knowledge about breast and cervical cancer by 10%-36%, clearly demonstrating that this information was new to them. The need for education programming in African American communities to disseminate cancer prevention and risk information remains high.

HPV vaccination: Pilot study assessing characteristics of high and low performing primary care offices.

This pilot study was undertaken to identify characteristics and approaches (e.g., social, behavioral, and/or systems factors) which differentiate primary care medical offices achieving higher rates of HPV vaccination. Eligible primary care practice sites providing care to adolescent patients were recruited within an eight county region of western New York State between June 2016 and July 2016. Practice sites were categorized as higher (n = 3) or lower performing (n = 2) based on three dose series completion rates for HPV vaccinations among females aged 13-17 years. Interviewer administered surveys were completed with office staff (n = 37) and focused on understanding approaches to adolescent vaccination. Results were summarized using basic descriptive statistics. Higher performing offices reported more full-time clinical staff (median = 25 vs. 9.5 in lower performing clinics), larger panels of patients ages 11-17 years (median = 3541 vs. 925) and completion of NYSIIS data entry within two weeks of vaccination. (less than a month vs. two). Staff in higher performing offices reviewed medical charts prior to scheduled visits (100% vs. 50) and identified their office vaccine champion as a physician and/or a nurse manager (75% vs. 22%). Also, staffs from higher performing offices were more likely to report the combination of having an office vaccine champion, previewing charts and using standing orders. These preliminary findings support future research examining implementation of organizational processes including identifying a vaccine champion, using standing orders and previewing medical charts prior to office visits as strategies to increase rates of HPV vaccination in primary care offices.

Clinician and Parent Perspectives on Educational Needs for Increasing Adolescent HPV Vaccination.

Human papillomavirus (HPV)-related morbidity and mortality remain a significant public health burden despite the availability of HPV vaccines for cancer prevention. We engaged clinicians and parents to identify barriers and opportunities related to adolescent HPV vaccination within a focused geographic region. This mixed-method study design used an interviewer-administered semi-structured interview with clinicians (n = 52) and a written self-administered survey with similar items completed by parents (n = 54). Items focused on experiences, opinions, and ideas about HPV vaccine utilization in the clinical setting, family, and patient perceptions about HPV vaccination and potential future efforts to increase vaccine utilization. Quantitative items were analyzed using descriptive statistics, while qualitative content was analyzed thematically. Suggested solutions for achieving higher rates of HPV vaccination noted by clinicians included public health education, the removal of stigma associated with vaccines, media endorsements, and targeting parents as the primary focus of educational messages. Parents expressed the need for more information about HPV-related disease, HPV vaccines, vaccine safety, sexual concerns, and countering misinformation on social media. Results from this mixed-method study affirm that educational campaigns targeting both health care professionals and parents represent a key facilitator for promoting HPV vaccination; disease burden and cancer prevention emerged as key themes for this messaging.

Clinician Misperceptions about the Importance of Adolescent HPV Vaccination.

INTRODUCTION: Adolescent HPV vaccination rates remain suboptimal. The purpose of the study was to investigate attitudes about HPV vaccine relative to other adolescent vaccines among clinical staff from primary care offices and school based clinics. METHODS: We interviewed clinicians in primary care offices and school-based clinics regarding their attitudes about HPV vaccine relative to Tdap and MCV4. RESULTS: Respondents (n = 36) included clinical staff in family medicine (47%), pediatrics (25%), obstetrics/gynecology (19%) and school-based health clinics (8%). Only 3% strongly agreed and 17% agreed that completion of HPV vaccine was more important than completion of pertussis vaccine (Tdap), while 6% strongly agreed and 33% agreed that completion of HPV vaccine was more important than completion of meningitis vaccine (MCV4). DISCUSSION: Providing clinicians with additional information about the cancer prevention benefits of the HPV vaccine and the greater risk for HPV infection/disease relative to other vaccine preventable adolescent diseases may help to increase HPV vaccination rates among adolescents.

Developing a Smoking Cessation Intervention for Low Income and Minority Women.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this qualitative pilot study was to elicit patient and provider feedback on how to develop a smoking cessation program for low income women with cervical dysplasia in an urban Women's Health Center. METHODS: A community-based participatory research project incorporating a focus group and structured interviews was utilized to elicit feedback on how to develop a culturally appropriate smoking cessation program appealing to low-income and minority women smokers. RESULTS: Qualitative data from 13 patients, 4 nurses, and 6 staff members collected between January 2012-August 2012 described the challenges of finding effective mechanisms for cessation interventions that met the schedules and needs of low income and minority patients. Input from office staff indicated insufficient educational resources to offer patients, limited skills to assist patients and the importance of perceived patient readiness to quit as barriers to creating an effective smoking cessation program. CONCLUSION: Smoking cessation services targeting low-income and minority female smokers can be enhanced by providing clinic staff with patient education materials and smoking cessation training.