Development and implementation of a geriatric oncology interprofessional case-based educational intervention for cancer care providers.
Authors: Verduzco-Aguirre Haydee Cristina , Gomez-Moreno Carolina , Navarrete Reyes Ana Patricia , Henriquez Gretell , Monroy Chargoy Javier , Mateos Abigail , Sánchez Hernández Juan José , Castelo Alicia , Hamui Sutton Liz , Sánchez Mendiola Melchor , Soto Pérez de Celis Enrique 
Published: June 2024

9020 Background: Geriatric assessment (GA) is recommended as part of the standard of care for older adults with cancer. However, the GA has not been fully adopted as part of routine practice in oncology in Mexico, mainly due to lack of qualified personnel and limited knowledge. We designed an interprofessional case-based educational intervention to address the main barriers for implementation of GA in oncology. Methods: We followed Kern’s six-step approach to design a continuing professional development (CPD) activity. Our targeted learners consisted of teams comprised of one oncologist and one geriatrician who practiced at the same site in Mexico. By the end of the intervention, participants would be able to perform GA in older adults with cancer, and to integrate information obtained through a GA in a cancer treatment plan through adequate interventions. We used Project ECHO’s model to create a CPD activity consisting of 12 weekly 75-minute online sessions via Zoom, with content selected from international geriatric oncology guidelines. At baseline, and at the end of the course, participants answered a 36-item multiple choice knowledge assessment (scale 0-100), a survey on self-perceived competence in GA skills (scale 0-10), and an adaptation of the Association for Community Cancer Centers Geriatric Oncology Gap Assessment Tool, which assesses subjective performance of the GA (scale 0-4). Participants also completed a satisfaction questionnaire. We compared baseline and post-intervention scores through paired t tests; results from the satisfaction questionnaire are reported descriptively. Results: We included 56 participants (28 geriatricians and 28 oncologists). Median participant attendance was 10 sessions (IQR 9-11). Thirty-eight participants completed the satisfaction questionnaire: median satisfaction was 10/10 (range 8-10). There was no difference in satisfaction scores between oncologists and geriatricians. Mean baseline knowledge score was 59.5±12.8 and mean post-intervention knowledge score was 74.4±9.7 (p<0.001, effect size 1.14). Mean baseline competence score was 6.42±2.5 and mean post-intervention competence score was 9.02±0.78 (p<0.001, effect size 1.03). Mean baseline performance score was 2.58±0.65 and mean post-intervention knowledge score was 3.29±0.5 (p<0.001, effect size 1.64). Increases in knowledge, competence, and performance scores were observed both in oncologists and in geriatricians separately. Conclusions: This interprofessional curriculum on GA in oncology was feasible and acceptable, and led to significant increases in knowledge, competence, and performance among participants. Project ECHO’s case-based learning model is adequate to provide interprofessional education, which is crucial in multidisciplinary areas such as geriatric oncology.