3037.0: Monday, November 13, 2000 - 1:06 PM

Abstract #13484

Proposing a cancer education and community outreach framework which can be evaluated using not only numbers

Cathy D. Meade, RN, PhD and Arlene E. Calvo, MPH, CHES. Education, Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute at the University of South Florida, 12902 Magnolia Dr., MRC-CANTRL, Tampa, FL 33612, 813-979-6730, cdmeade@moffitt.usf.edu

Funded by The Avon’s Breast Health Access Fund and administered by the National Alliance for Breast Cancer Organizations (NABCO) our education and outreach project delivers outreach, education and breast cancer screening to Hispanic migrant and seasonal farmworkers and other rural women. Our program, existent for six years, evolved from screening 152 women during the first year to a target number of 800 women predicted to be screened this year mainly through the addition of a Hispanic outreach worker and the implementation of a variety of innovative outreach and education strategies. As health care professionals, we need to take into consideration the multiple factors that impact acceptability, usability and receptivity of our sustained community education and cancer outreach services. We will describe steps used following a relevant conceptual framework for the delivery of cancer education and outreach services and relate non-numeric measures used to evaluate the impact of the program. While the number of women screened, outreached and educated has increased, we have observed other important programmatic outcomes such as: 1) expansion of community partners; 2) enhanced community trust; and, 3) formation of a strong foundation for future research collaborations and interactions. Rather than limiting evaluation to “numbers” as benchmark of programmatic success; a compilation of other factors based upon a systematic and evolving theoretical framework are the real driving forces behind a successful and sustainable community-based program.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant will be able to: 1) examine key theoretical tenets of a cancer education and community outreach model for the successful recruitment of medically underserved women for breast health; 2) relate outcomes experienced at multiple levels in providing screening, education and outreach; and, 3)describe non-numeric evaluation methods used to document programmatic impact

Keywords: Hispanic, Cancer Screening

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

The 128th Annual Meeting of APHA