IMPROVING THE EDUCATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS OF TUMOR BOARDS

拟议的项目旨在启动和评估

The proposed project is designed to initiate and evaluate interventions aimed at improving the educational benefit of tumor boards and tumor conferences. Its primary aim is to identify interventions which will 1) optimize the process and activities related to conduct of tumor conferences; 2) increase the size and improve the composition of the audience upon which typical tumor conferences will impact; 3) increase physician knowledge related to the diagnosis and treatment of common tumors; 4) impact the patient management strategies selected for use by physicians treating tumor patients; 5) improve the outcomes of tumor care in terms of mortality and morbidity; and 6) improve the process of information dissemination from research centers to community physicians. This three-year project will be conducted in four phases of approximately equal length: 1) an in-depth evaluation of existing tumor conferences; 2) carefully conducted pilot tests of selected educational interventions in a small sample of hospitals; 3) validation of successful strategies with trials in designated categories of hospitals (considering size and teaching/non- teaching status); and 4) trial of successful strategies at distant sites to make final determination related to potential for nationwide dissemination, optimally in cooperation with the second NCI-funded project site. The primary end product of the project will be a set of recommendations and a package of materials which could be disseminated to tumor boards throughout the country. The package will include 1) a needs assessment procedure to be completed by each tumor board; 2) instructions for interpreting findings and selecting from among the sets of interventions included; 3) detailed instructions for implementing each set of interventions; 4) and evaluation materials for monitoring the implementation and continued use of the interventions.