Tailoring Gynecologic Cancer Education for Health Care Providers
Focus Group Discussion Guide for Group A
Form Approved
OMB No. 0920-0800
Exp. Date 11/30/2014
Focus Group Discussion Guide for Group A
(Tailoring Gynecologic Cancer Education for Health Care Providers)
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Instructions:
Use this Discussion Guide for Focus Group A. Questions that are not relevant should be deleted to avoid unnecessary burden to respondents.
Aims of information collection:
Goal: To inform the development of educational materials for health care providers (specifically medical residents in primary care). The educational materials are designed to disseminate key messages developed through CDC’s Inside Knowledge: Get the Facts about Gynecologic Cancer communications campaign. Qualitative information will be collected to better understand health care providers’ knowledge, behavior, attitudes, and practices related to the 5 main types of gynecologic cancer (cervical, ovarian (including fallopian tube and primary peritoneal cancers), uterine, vaginal, and vulvar cancers), including risks, symptoms, prevention strategies, and basics of clinical management and follow-up. Participants in Focus Group “A” have not been exposed to the educational materials.
At a later date, Focus Group “B” will be conducted with health care providers who have been exposed to the educational materials. We will look for differences in their knowledge, behavior, attitudes, and practices. We will also ask for suggestions to improve the Inside Knowledge educational materials.
The following are goals of the Inside Knowledge campaign with regard to health care provider knowledge and behavior. After receipt of materials, health care providers will:
Provide accurate information on signs, symptoms, risk factors, and prevention strategies of gynecologic cancers to their patients
Consider gynecologic cancers when patients present with certain persistent gastrointestinal and urogynecologic symptoms
Provide cervical cancer screening consistent with evidence-based recommendations
Accurately explain to patients why an extended interval for cervical cancer screening may be most appropriate for average risk women
Provide follow-up care for abnormal cervical cancer screening test results (Pap tests and HPV tests), consistent with evidence-based recommendations
Encourage HPV vaccination of patients and their children, consistent with evidence-based recommendations
Not routinely screen average-risk asymptotic patients for ovarian cancer, even if patients request it. (Note: Routine screening of average risk women for ovarian cancer is not recommended. However, diagnostic testing may warranted for symptomatic women)
Refer patients suspected of having or already diagnosed with a gynecologic cancer to gynecologic oncologists
Refer patients at high-risk for developing ovarian or uterine cancer to genetic specialists, consistent with evidence-based recommendations
Refer patients at high-risk for developing ovarian or uterine cancer to genetic specialists, consistent with evidence-based guidelines
1. I’m going to present a vignette of a hypothetical patient.
Vignette: : A 55 year old woman returns to see you complaining of 6-8 weeks of bloating, abdominal pain, constipation, and fatigue. She initially presented 3 weeks ago with occasional symptoms, and you prescribed stool softeners. Her symptoms have not improved and now occur almost every day.
Past Medical History:
Normal colonoscopy 5 years ago.
Normal Pap test and mammogram 2 years ago.
Hypertension well controlled with lisinopril (Zestril).
Family History: None
Physical Exam Findings:
BP 138/80.
Abdominal exam: diffuse mild tenderness.
Pelvic exam: tenderness in left adnexa.
Rectal exam: no masses, guaiac negative.
What tests would you recommend for this patient at this visit?
2. What cervical cancer screening tests do you advise your patients to get routinely? How frequently do you advise them to be screened? At what age do you advise them to start screening?
3. When would you recommend cervical cancer screening with the Pap test by itself?
4. When would you recommend cervical cancer screening with co-testing (Pap test and HPV test)?
5. Which of the 5 gynecologic cancers (cervical, ovarian, uterine, vaginal or vulvar) do you think have effective screening tests?
6. Do you think there are effective screening tests in the average risk population for ovarian cancer? If so which tests? Tell me about when you test with CA-125? Transvaginal ultrasound (TVU)? Pelvic exam?
7. Can you tell me what some risk factors for uterine cancer are?
8. What cancers do you think the human papillomavirus (HPV) can cause?
9. Can you tell me what some risk factors for ovarian cancer are?
10. For which of your patients would you recommend genetic counseling and testing?
11. I’m going to present another vignette about a hypothetical patient.
Vignette: A 57-year-old woman complains of mild right lower quadrant pain and bloating for 3 weeks, but no other symptoms. Your pelvic exam reveals a right adnexal mass. You order a pelvic ultrasound.
Ultrasound Results:
10 cm right adnexal mass with solid and cystic components.
Moderate amount of ascites.
Increased vascularity of the solid components of the mass by Doppler.
What would be your next step(s) in caring for this patient?
12. How confident are you in your ability to answer basic questions from your patients about cervical cancer (such as on risk factors, symptoms, screening information)?
13. How confident are you in your ability to answer basic questions from your patients about ovarian cancer (such as on risk factors, symptoms, screening information)?
14. How confident are you in your ability to answer basic questions from your patients about uterine cancer (such as on risk factors, symptoms, screening information)?
15. How confident are you in your ability to answer basic questions from your patients about vaginal and vulvar cancers (such as on risk factors, symptoms, screening information)?
16. How concerned are you, if at all, that providing basic information about gynecologic cancer (such as risk factors, symptoms, screening information) will cause patients unnecessary worry?
17. How concerned are you, if at all, that providing basic information about gynecologic cancer (such as risk factors, symptoms, screening information) will lead to unnecessary tests/procedures?
18. Are you expected to apply evidence-based guidelines for cancer screening in practice by your supervisors?
19. Are you likely to apply evidence-based guidelines for cancer screening in practice?
20. How familiar are you with the cancer-related work of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (the CDC)?
21. Do you think the CDC is a credible source of information on gynecologic cancers?
22. Would you pay attention to educational materials from CDC?
22. What information would you like to see incorporated into a series of CDC-developed educational modules on gynecologic cancers?
23. As a primary care physician, what information on gynecologic cancer is important for you to know?
Health Professional General Information Gathering
Please indicate your gender
In which of the following categories does your age fall?
18-24 years of age
25-34 years of age
35-44 years of age
45-54 years of age
55-64 years of age
65-74 years of age
75 years of age or older
Please indicate your race and ethnic background.
Ethnicity:
Hispanic or Latino
Not Hispanic or Latino
Race: SELECT ONE OR MORE.
White/Caucasian
Black or African-American
American Indian or Alaska Native
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
Asian
| File Type | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document |
| File Title | What was the take-away message |
| Author | Lindsey Polonec |
| File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
| File Created | 2021-01-31 |