Cancer prevention, risk reduction, and control: opportunities for the next decade of health care delivery research

Latin America and the Caribbean Code Against Cancer 1st edition: Building capacity on cancer prevention to primary healthcare professionals

INTRODUCTION

Every year 1.5 million new cancer cases are diagnosed in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). Of these, about 40 % could be prevented. Health illiteracy has been identified as a main barrier for cancer prevention. Primary healthcare professionals (HCP) are key in cancer prevention as they are the first entry point of the population into the healthcare system. The LAC Code Against Cancer 1st edition aims to improve health literacy and awareness of cancer prevention in the LAC population, through building capacity of primary HCP.

METHODS

The definition and development of the learning objectives, curriculum, structure, and evaluation of an online learning program for primary HCP was led by a dedicated group of experts from the LAC Code Against Cancer project. A pedagogical guideline and a template to ensure harmonization across topics were produced to guide the program development. Two rounds of internal revisions and an editorial process were performed.

RESULTS

An online competency-based microlearning program for primary HCP was produced, taking the LAC Code Against Cancer as a basis. The competences addressed in the curriculum are core knowledge, communication skills, decision-making and applying knowledge to real-world situations. A comprehensive evaluation to assess acquisition of these competences, based on the Miller's Pyramid, was designed with three data collection points: a) immediately before, to assess baseline knowledge and skills; b) immediately after, to determine acquired competences; and c) at 3-6 months follow-up, to assess performance in daily practice. The e-learning will be freely available in the Virtual Campus for Public Health of the Pan American Health Organization in Spanish, English, and Portuguese.

CONCLUSION

Primary HCP, perceived as trustworthy sources of information, are key actors to increase the population's awareness and literacy on cancer prevention. Building capacity of these professionals has the potential to increase dissemination and impact of the LAC Code Against Cancer by prompting communication with the public and offering personalized actionable preventive messages through counselling.

Behavioral medicine, cancer control, and NCI: reflections on a fruitful past and auspicious future

Cancer prevention and control has benefited substantially from behavioral medicine research over the last several decades. The National Cancer Institute's (NCI) Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, ably led by Barbara Rimer and then Bob Croyle since being established in 1997, has been a primary supporter of this research. NCI has made significant investments in many of the topics featured in this special section and will continue to do so. These include research on basic behavioral processes such as affect as well as optimal approaches to health communication. A key and enduring focus has been the support of behavioral interventions, particularly for tobacco, diet, physical activity, and sun exposure. The success of such interventions will be amplified to the extent that they leverage novel research designs, emerging digital technologies, evidence gleaned from the burgeoning field of implementation science, and lessons learned from greater attention to the impact of health disparities and inequities. Moreover, as the cancer survivor population continues to grow given the rapid development of diagnostic and therapeutic science, it will be even more essential to devote attention to understanding and addressing the health care and other needs of survivors such as cognitive dysfunction and financial toxicity. The field of behavioral medicine should be both applauded for its many contributions to reducing the cancer burden and encouraged to continue developing new research ideas in these critical areas.