E-Counseling in psychosocial cancer care: A competency-based E-Learning approach

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Up to 89% of cancer patients have unmet psychosocial needs. E-Counseling, defined as the use of the Internet to deliver psychosocial interventions, offers patients in need the ability to receive psychosocial cancer care in a clinically efficacious, cost-effective, and convenient manner. E-Counseling overcomes barriers which stand in the way of more traditional face-to-face counseling methods, and increases provider reach. Unfortunately, few psychosocial cancer care providers are trained in E-Counseling skills. Our recent needs assessment of psychosocial cancer care providers (N=104) indicated that only 4% of providers currently practice E-Counseling with cancer patients and survivors, 12% felt they had sufficient training in how to conduct E-Counseling, and 93% stated they would be interested in E-Counseling online training. To remedy this gap in professional training and respond to provider interest, the aims of the proposal are to: 1) Develop and implement an online training program in E-Counseling for psychosocial cancer care providers (E-Counseling for Cancer Course: ECCC); 2) Evaluate the effects of ECCC on trainee competency in E-Counseling for cancer; 3) Evaluate the effects of ECCC on clinical practice behavior; and, 4) Identify trainee characteristics which predict adoption of E-Counseling. The project is guided by two theoretical approaches. The training component of ECCC is guided by a Foundational Competency Approach. In particular, training will focus on developing the following skills: Empirically-based practice of E-Counseling for cancer, Legal compliance in E-Counseling for cancer, Ethical conduct in E-Counseling for cancer, Therapeutic relationship development in E-Counseling for cancer, and Culturally sensitive E-Counseling for cancer. ECCC faculty members are experts in each of the E-Counseling foundational competencies. The evaluation component of ECCC is guided by the Kirkpatrick Evaluation Model, and will focus on three levels of evaluation: Reactions (satisfaction), Learning (achievement of competency benchmarks), and Transfer (adoption of E-Counseling into clinical practice). Licensed psychosocial cancer care providers (N=820; including psychologists, nurses, social workers, and psychiatrists) from across the country will be recruited via professional listservs. Admissions will be rolling. Once accepted, they will participate in ECCC, a five module, multimedia, E-Learning program. Trainees will be evaluated as part of each module and at three and six months following ECCC completion. In summary, despite E-Counseling's tremendous promise for psychosocial cancer care, few psychosocial cancer care providers are trained to deliver it. Essentially, there is high demand for E-Counseling, but limited supply of E-Counseling providers. Therefore, this R25E is designed to train psychosocial cancer care providers in how to provide high quality, competent E-Counseling that is empirically based, legally compliant, ethically sound, empathic, and culturally sensitive.