Abstract P6-14-01: Impact of educational workshops on patient-provider communication: Results from the Frankly Speaking about Cancer: Metastatic Breast Cancer educational workshops
Authors: Hollen HR , Saxton CM , Gonzalo MB , Zaleta AK 
Published: May 2019

Patient education about metastatic breast cancer can help patients and caregivers in interactions with their health care team and provide tools to deal with the psychosocial effects of the disease. This analysis explores participants' experiences related to the gains from Cancer Support Community's national evidence-based educational program, Frankly Speaking about Cancer: Metastatic Breast Cancer. This comprehensive psychosocial education program, created for people diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer and their families, provides information about current treatments, side-effect management, and social and emotional challenges of an advanced breast cancer diagnosis.

Participants from 43 workshops across the country between 2014 and 2017 completed program evaluation surveys on factors including: pre- and post-workshop knowledge and intentions for patient-provider communication post-workshop. In total, 427 individuals attending in-person Frankly Speaking about Cancer: Metastatic Breast Cancer workshops nationwide assessed their experiences and learnings during the educational workshops. Survey questions focused on how participants currently met their informational and assistance needs in regard to metastatic breast cancer and whether the workshop was associated with positive gains. Descriptive analyses and pre-and post-workshop comparisons were conducted to assess workshop outcomes.

71% of participants were cancer patients/survivors; the remainder served in the caregiving capacity and included spouses/partners (11%), family members (10%), and friends (8%). The average age of participants was 47 years old (s.d.= 24 years). Among patients/survivors, 70% received the diagnosis within the last two years; and 65% reported being highly involved in their treatment decisions. The most common treatment side effects included anxiety (10%), pain (10%), depression (10%) and fatigue (15%). The majority of respondents (72% patients/survivors and 81% caregivers) reported experiencing emotional distress due to their/their loved one's cancer. Most workshop participants (83%) reported gaining a high or very high level of knowledge about metastatic breast cancer, which was a significant increase compared with pre-workshop levels (χ2= 13.2, p &lt;.05). Caregivers were equally as likely as patients/survivors to report that as a result of their participation, they gained knowledge about metastatic breast cancer treatment options, confidence to participate in treatment decision-making with their health care team and to ask questions about side effects of metastatic breast cancer and its treatment. Finally, 73% of cancer patients/survivors and 78% of caregivers reported that as a result of the workshops, they felt better prepared to emotionally cope with their metastatic breast cancer experience.

These findings indicate that educational workshops can play a role in enhancing patients' self-perceived knowledge about metastatic breast cancer and empowering patients and caregivers to become active participants in their treatment decisions. These enhancements can, in turn, support caregivers in their interactions with their health care team and provide tools to manage the psychosocial effects of the disease.

Citation Format: Hollen HR, Saxton CM, Gonzalo MB, Zaleta AK. Impact of educational workshops on patient-provider communication: Results from the Frankly Speaking about Cancer: Metastatic Breast Cancer educational workshops [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2018 Dec 4-8; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P6-14-01.