Evaluating the Feasibility of Continuing Medical Education for Disseminating Emerging Science on the Breast Cancer and Environment Connection

Developing continuing medical education (CME) training programs is a strategy for communicating emerging science to health practitioners. This research tests the feasibility of using CME modules for translating and disseminating research findings from the Breast Cancer and Environment Research Program. Recent findings have identified certain windows of susceptibility, like during puberty, in which exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals can increase breast cancer risk later in life. In order to reach pediatric patients and their caregivers, using a Diffusion of Innovations framework, pediatric health-care providers were identified as opinion leaders. Two CME modules informed by theory and formative research were tested with a sample of pediatricians and pediatric nurse practitioners. Participants completed knowledge, attitude, intention, and behavior items immediately before and after exposure to a randomly assigned module, and then again 3 weeks later. Quantitative and qualitative results indicate knowledge gain and strong links between practitioners' intentions to enact and implemented behavior learned from training recommendations with parents and caregivers in their practices. Results indicate that CMEs can be an effective strategy for translational activities targeted to health providers in order to change behavior within practice.