The NSABP Cooperative Group Outreach Program proposed in this application will increase the number of patients receiving state of the art cancer care by introducing clinical trial participation further into the community setting. Since 1978, the NSABP has maintained a Cancer Control Network Program as part of the CGOP. Community physicians were provided support and information necessary to successfully conduct and document the treatment regimens accurately and effectively. A detailed review and analysis of the Cancer Control Network Program is presented. This current proposal will maintain and expand the ongoing Network Program through twenty-four geographically dispersed local networks each designed to achieve the program objectives which include, in addition to entry of patients into clinical trials, a) improving the skills of community physicians and other health professionals through continuing education, b) developing and maintaining high standards of care by providing necessary support services and instituting quality control procedures and c) disseminating new treatment information rapidly. Additional program-wide efforts will include the promotion of clinical trial participation in regions where patient entry to date has been limited, the development and evaluation of innovative methods of technology transfer, and participation in DCPC-sponsored evaluation of community programs. The introduction of new NSABP Network institutions provides a unique resource to better measure in a prospective fashion, the impact of CGOP on community cancer care. A systematic evaluation of several possible interventions is proposed.
Showing the most recent 10 out of 33 publications
