P2.11-24 The First Comprehensive Primary Care Provider Training for Lung Cancer Care in the U.S. - An Innovative Online Course

Abstract

Lung cancer (LC) is the leading cause of cancer death in the U.S., and primary care provider (PCP) education is essential for reducing the country’s overall LC burden. Despite recent LC treatment advances, several studies show that LC patients receive treatments at lower rates than other cancer patients, regardless of stage of diagnosis. Despite decades of research into tobacco use treatment, many PCPs still lack the expertise to assist patients in their quit attempts. PCP understanding and adoption of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendation for LC screening with low-dose CT (LDCT) remain low, making PCP education crucial for impacting the leading cause of cancer death. The LuCa National Training Network provides training, materials, and technical assistance for professionals who educate PCPs and other health care professionals on LC. In developing an online training course on lung cancer care for PCPs, LuCa moved beyond the traditional, using innovative technology to engage PCPs and influence practice behaviors. The free course, Lung Cancer and the Primary Care Provider, delivers comprehensive, interactive education on best practices related to lung cancer prevention, early detection, treatment, and survivorship. The course includes a library of practice tools available for download. This presentation will provide an overview of the online course, lesson content, features, interactivity, and results to date. Lung Cancer and the Primary Care Provider launched in April 2019 and is the only comprehensive online course on LC care for PCPs in the U.S. Learners complete pre- and post-tests and evaluations immediately following the course and three months later regarding practice changes. Up-to-date participation and evaluation trends, demographic comparisons, knowledge changes, lessons learned, and participant feedback will be shared. This presentation will review the practice areas on which the course had the strongest influence, based on PCP self-reported data. PCPs play a pivotal role in determining the care pathways for their patients who are at risk for, or diagnosed with, lung cancer. They are an ideal audience for pertinent lung cancer-focused educational interventions. Creative online learning has tremendous potential to improve patient care and achieve broad reach to this critical provider audience. Adoption of new screening and prevention modalities takes time, but high quality training with simple downloadable practice tools can accelerate adoption of these best practices. Provider education must be engaging, evidence-based, on-demand, and cutting-edge in order to capture focus with competing demands, and affect knowledge and confidence on complex lung cancer topics.