CancerSPACE: Developing, Evaluating, and Disseminating a Virtual Learning Tool to Educate Health Care Providers on Cancer Screening

Cancer incidence and mortality rates continue to decline in part due to increased screenings and education. However, certain population groups (e.g., uninsured, underinsured, minorities) experience lower screening rates for breast, cervical, and colon cancers and exhibit marked disparities in cancer outcomes compared to the general population. Primary care providers, especially providers who serve in community clinics, are a critical component in improving cancer screening rates. CancerSPACE (Simulating Practice and Collaborative Education) is an interactive, web-based educational tool in a game format designed to support staff of community health centers. The “challenges” presented in the virtual clinic environment simulate realistic barriers to cancer screening. The practitioner overcomes the barriers and accumulates ‘game points' by checking the evidence and integrating evidence-based approaches to solve the clinical problems. The simulated environment allows practitioners to integrate new information by ‘practicing' new approaches and building confidence to overcome the real world clinic challenges. This presentation will provide an overview on using virtual learning platforms as a method of health education, present the CancerSPACE educational tool, discuss evaluation outcomes and dissemination efforts, and raise awareness about the educational resources that are available through NCI.