Abstract IA11: Improving Cultural Humility Training for Oncology Clinicians
Authors: Quinn Gwendolyn P. , Alpert Ash , Sutter Megan E. , Seay Julia , Schabath Matthew B. 
Published: December 2020

Background: High quality communication skills are an essential part of the patient-clinician encounter. In 2001, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) began to require communication skills as core competencies for medical residents and fellows. Poor communication skills among clinicians are associated with reduced patient satisfaction, reduced patient understanding of their disease, poorer quality treatment decisions, increased patient anxiety and depression, and also higher individual- and societal-level monetary costs. Thus communication skills have become core competencies required by ACGME. With the recent NIH and ASCO classification of Sexual and Gender minority (SGM) patients as a population experiencing health disparities, increased attention has been placed on communication skills and cultural competency to provide care for SGM patients. However, the majority of literature on SGM cancer care has focused on highlighting health disparities, risk factors, poor outcomes or experiences or HIV/AIDS research. While recent medical school graduates may have received education on SGMs, mid and senior level physicians likely did not. There is need to develop communication skills with SGM patients with cancer. Such skills are particularly relevant for SGM patients as their status may be “invisible.” Practice settings do not always collect sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) data and even when they do, some clinicians may be unaware how to apply that information to the patient’s care or communication about care. Methods: This presentation will: 1) provide an overview of clinician knowledge and practice behaviors regarding SGM patients with cancer and health disparities; 2) list current education efforts to improve clinician communication; 3) describe the COLORS © training program; 4)identify training opportunities; 5) provide additional resources to create a welcoming environment for SGM patients with cancer. Results: An SGM patient who feels understood and accepted by their oncology clinicians may be more likely to disclose important facts about their health and behaviors. This may allow clinicians to make more timely diagnoses and/or more relevant treatment recommendations. Patients who feels acknowledged by their clinician may be more likely to stay in care and experience less cancer-related distress. Training and welcoming environment are only part of the solution. Health care policies can also reinforce clinician and practice changes. Conclusions: The field of SGM cultural humility training is in its infancy. Although there is much promise in improving structural, organizational, and clinical aspects of oncology care to meet the needs of SGM patients, frameworks for evaluation and specific measures of change are also needed.

Citation Format: Gwendolyn P. Quinn, Ash Alpert, Megan E. Sutter, Julia Seay, Matthew B. Schabath. Improving Cultural Humility Training for Oncology Clinicians [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Virtual Conference: Thirteenth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2020 Oct 2-4. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(12 Suppl):Abstract nr IA11.