228199 Continuing Education Preferences among Oral Health Providers for HPV-Related Oral Cancer Information

Monday, November 8, 2010

Karen Dyer, MA, MPH , Department of Anthropology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
Hollie J. Fuhrmann, MA , Department of Community and Family Health, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
Hannah L. Helmy, MA, MPH , Department of Community and Family Health, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
Sarah A. Smith, MPH , Center for Transdisciplinary Research on Women's Health, Department of Community and Family Health, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
Christopher Wheldon, MSPH, MEd , Department of Community and Family Health, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
Ellen Daley, PhD, MPH , Department of Community and Family Health, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
Rita DeBate, PhD, MPH, CHES , Center for Transdisciplinary Research on Women's Health, Department of Community and Family Health, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
Virginia J. Dodd, PhD, MPH , Dept. of Community Dentistry and Behavioral Science, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
Introduction: As both scientific knowledge and public awareness of the link between human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted infection, and oral cancer (OC) increases, oral health providers (OHP) may be expected to tailor their prevention behaviors and to address their patients' questions and concerns. This study explores OHP continuing education (CE) preferences for increasing capacity to address the HPV-OC link in their practices. Methods: As part of an exploratory, mixed methods study among OHP assessing predisposing factors related to HPV-related OC prevention behaviors, participants were asked to indicate continuing education needs and preferences regarding HPV-related OC information. Results: Five focus groups and 250 web-based surveys were administered to practicing OHP in Florida. Results from the focus groups indicate that OHP have a wide range of needs regarding HPV-related OC continuing education. Convenience was considered by many respondents to be the most important quality of for-credit CE, while others indicated that credits could be taken at annual meetings in which more interesting information can be conveyed. Survey results indicate that OHP prefer to receive CE at state or local professional meetings/conferences (91%), professional journals (84%), pictorial slides (pictures illustrating different pathology examples) (77%), web-pages with OC information (76%), and/or handout/booklets with mail-in self-tests (70%). Conclusion: Annual professional meetings emerged as the most preferable mechanism for the delivery of CE options for an OHP intervention regarding primary prevention of HPV-related OC; however, multiple options should be available to meet providers' needs and convenience.

Learning Areas:
Other professions or practice related to public health
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Provision of health care to the public
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
1. Describe gaps in the currently available continuing education programs that address the connection between HPV and oral cancer; 2. Discuss oral health providers’ preferences for continuing education regarding the oral HPV-OC link, and to identity the most appropriate modality.

Keywords: Oral Health, Education

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am qualified to be a presenter because I have played a major role in the development, implementation, and analysis of this project.
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.

Back to: 3089.0: Oral-Systemic Disease Linkages