The George Washington University (GW) Cancer Center recently released two new no-cost tools to help comprehensive cancer control professionals enhance their communication efforts and improve care for cancer survivors across the U.S. The resources, produced as part of the GW Cancer Center’s ongoing technical assistance cooperative agreement from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, can assist cancer control programs across the country with their efforts to reduce cancer incidence, morbidity, and mortality through prevention, early detection, treatment, rehabilitation, and palliative care.
Supporting Cancer Survivors Through Comprehensive Cancer Control Programs provides a national snapshot of cancer survivorship in the U.S., including what is known about the health status, needs, and disparities among survivors. The focus of the report is on post-treatment survivorship issues and includes systems-level approaches to addressing needs for cancer survivors through:
- Surveillance and applied research
- Communication, education, and training
- Programs, policies, and infrastructure
- Access to quality care and services
“Despite the growing number of cancer survivors in the U.S., we still have room for improvement when it comes to providing high quality care and follow-up,” said Mandi Pratt-Chapman, M.A., associate center director for patient-centered initiatives and health equity at the GW Cancer Center. “Cancer survivors are at increased risk for a variety of issues from cancer and its treatment, but comprehensive cancer control programs can play a key role in addressing the unique needs of survivors, caregivers, and their families.”
The recently released Communication Training for Comprehensive Cancer Control Professionals 102: Making Communication Campaigns Evidence-Based is the second of a two-part series on cancer control communication and is designed for participants who desire a more in-depth training about the process of organizing a communication campaign. Interactive modules and a companion Guide to Making Communication Campaigns Evidence-Based walk participants through:
- Collecting and using evidence in communication campaigns
- Developing campaign messages and using appropriate tactics and channels to reach intended audiences
- Planning for campaign evaluation
- Launching a communication campaign
“Comprehensive cancer control professionals may not have a large budget or support from experienced communication staff,” said Aubrey Villalobos, M.P.H., M.Ed., director of cancer control and health equity for the Institute for Patient-Centered Initiatives and Health Equity at the GW Cancer Center. “Our goal in releasing this training is to support these programs and enable them to launch successful communication campaigns on any budget and with any level of experience.”
