200710 Developing a computer touch screen interactive colorectal cancer screening decision aid for low-literacy populations: Lessons learned

Monday, November 9, 2009

Sarah Bauerle Bass, PhD, MPH , Department of Public Health, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA
Sheryl Burt Ruzek, PhD, MPH , Department of Public Health, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA
Thomas F. Gordon, PhD , Department of Public Health, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA
Caitlin Wolak, BS , Department of Public Health, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA
Michael J. Rovito, MA , Department of Public Health, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA
Johnson Britto, MBBS, MPH , Department of Public Health, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA
Lalitha Parameswaran , Public Health, Temple University Center for Asian Health, Philadelphia, PA
Stephanie Ward, MD, MPH , General Internal Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA
Brian Meyer, MD, MPH , General Internal Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA
Karen Lin, MD, MPH , General Internal Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA
Anu Paranjape, MD, MPH , General Internal Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA
  
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third leading cause of cancer death in the United States, disproportionately affecting African Americans. While survival rates for CRC are high if caught early through screening techniques such as colonoscopy, African Americans exhibit significantly lower screening behavior and thus also have significantly higher mortality. Understanding what CRC screening is and communicating risk to patients with low literacy, however, can be challenging. This presentation will discuss the development of a CRC screening decision aid for African American patients in a General Internal Medicine Clinic in Philadelphia who scored six or below on the REALM-R literacy tool. We used data from focus groups and perceptual mapping surveys to identify themes that reflected attitudes and beliefs about CRC screening and perceived barriers to screening in African Americans with limited literacy. We developed and modified an interactive computer touch screen, web-based decision aid for this population using developmentally appropriate language, culturally appropriate graphics and videotaped testimonials from similar patients who had undergone colonoscopy screening. We will discuss challenges and strategies for developing CRC decision aids for populations with limited literacy and present the results of pilot tests using the tool in different formats.

Learning Objectives:
1. Discuss the challenges of developing health communication materials for low-literacy populations.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I oversaw development of CRC screening tutorial that will be discussed in the presentation.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

See more of: Technology Spectrum in Health Communication and Patient/Provider Communication
See more of: Public Health Education and Health Promotion