Development and Implementation of a Geriatric Oncology Interdisciplinary Case-Based Educational Intervention for...

Area of Science:

• Geriatric Oncology
• Continuing Professional Development
• Medical Education

Background:

• Geriatric assessment (GA) is crucial for optimizing cancer care in older adults.
• Oncologists and geriatricians require specialized training in GA within oncology.
• A need exists for effective continuing professional development (CPD) in geriatric oncology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and implement a CPD activity focused on GA in oncology.
• To evaluate the impact of this activity on knowledge, skills, and performance.
• To assess the feasibility and acceptability of the CPD activity.

Main Methods:

• A 12-week online course using the Project Extension for Community Healthcare Outcome (ECHO) model was developed.
• Participants included teams of oncologists and geriatricians in Mexico.
• A pretest-post-test quasi-experimental design assessed knowledge, competence, and performance using validated tools.

Main Results:

• Forty participants (20 oncologists, 20 geriatricians) completed the course.
• Significant improvements were observed in knowledge (P < .001, ES=1.14), competence (P < .001, ES=1.03), and performance (P < .001, ES=1.64).
• The course was highly feasible and acceptable, with a median satisfaction score of 10/10.

Conclusions:

• A CPD activity based on the Project ECHO model is feasible and acceptable for geriatric oncology.
• This intervention effectively increased knowledge, competence, and performance in GA for oncologists and geriatricians.
• This model offers a novel approach to enhance geriatric competence within the cancer care workforce globally.