The Drew Campus of the Drew-Meharry-Morehouse Consortium Cancer Center (Cancer Center) proposes a cancer education outreach project which facilitates expanded and improved educational and preventive services to health professionals and community leaders of the King/Drew Medical Center service area of Los Angeles County. Through a two-tiered approach the project will enhance cancer education and detection efforts for the population of the service area by improving services of indigenous health professionals, and by expanding the activities of community organizations (i.e. churches, service organizations). A structured transfer of methodology to service providers in four county sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinics and a community health clinic will be conducted to improve clinic follow-up rates for the detection and treatment of cervical cancer. Project staff will provide training to health care providers which focuses on a detailed medical follow-up protocol for the notification of Pap smear results. these sessions will be specifically tailored to the needs of the individual clinics and will be determined through an update of current clinic procedures, and data collection on screening and outreach rates. Training is divided into three sessions and will focus on: (1) pre- screening communications and data collection; (2) during screening communications; and (3) post-screening procedures and communications. The project also aims to expand grass-roots community-based efforts by involving community leaders from churches and service organizations in a cancer communications training module. These leaders will increase the knowledge about cancer issues, and will make presentations on cancer prevention and control to their constituents. Comprehensive training will be presented and will focus on cancer incidence, mortality, detection, prevention and treatment. Training topics include the following: (1) Program orientation - overview, methods of communication, community outreach, and group facilitation; (2) cancer in women (breast, cervical and lung); (3) cancer in men (prostate and lung); and (4) diet and nutrition. Community leaders will be trained using lecture, group discussion and audiovisual presentations. Evaluation activities will determine the strength of the procedures, document the increase in clinic follow-up rates, and verify the number of people reached through community presentations.
