Cancer Control Research
5U01CA063657-03
Avis, Nancy E.
DES--NORTHEAST EDUCATION AND OUTREACH
AbstractThe goal of this collaborative project with the National Cancer Institute
and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development is to
raise levels of awareness and knowledge, change attitudes, and to reduce
barriers to action regarding exposure to diethylstilbestrol (DES) and its
consequences among targeted public and medical professional audiences in
the Northeast, as well as to improve early detection, diagnosis, and
treatment for several medical conditions associated with exposure to DES.
Intervention sites will be on Long Island, New York. Target groups for
education include (1) individuals who are aware that they have been
exposed to DES (including those identified through enrollment in DES
registries, cohort studies or relevant organization, as well as others
identified through enrollment in DES registries, cohort studies or
relevant organizations, as well as others identified through this
project); (2) individuals unaware of their exposure to DES; and (3)
health professionals who are likely to have contact with DES exposed
individuals. The proposed project will include the following activities:
(1) the formation of a panel of medical experts and consumer
representatives consisting of medical experts, health education
specialists, and consumer representatives (DES Cancer Network, and DES
Sons) to devise state of the art standards for diagnosis and care for DES
exposed individuals and to oversee efforts to disseminate the standards
of care; (2) the conduct of baseline and follow-up surveys of samples of
the three target audiences to provide information concerning existing
levels of awareness, knowledge, practices and perceived barriers to be
incorporated into the interventions and provide data for evaluating the
effectiveness of interventions in each of these groups; (3) the
establishment of a DES hotline which will be available for the public in
both communities and wills serve as a vehicle for identification and
referral of newly identified DES individuals; (4) the evaluation of the
relative effectiveness of high versus low intensity interventions for
both DES exposed individuals and health care professionals, with the
inclusion of process evaluation measures to better assess the most
effective components of the interventions; (5) the production of a set
of educational materials which will serve as a basis for the
interventions; and (6) the establishment of linkages with medical
schools, Departments of Public health, and community organizations that
will enable the continuation of these DES education efforts after the
funding period. This proposed project builds on substantial expertise
provided by the multidisciplinary team of investigators that has been
assembled.
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