Development of a Multimedia Psychoeducational Intervention to Increase Uptake of BRCA Genetic Counseling Among High Risk Breast Cancer Survivors

This abstract describes a series of iterative steps that led to the development of a multimedia PEI to increase uptake of genetic counseling targeted to high-risk breast cancer survivors. This project utilized a multiphase approach. In Phase 1, our team developed PEI content guided by the Health Belief Model and informed by prior pilot studies, scientific literature, and a review of existing cancer education materials. In Phase 2, an interdisciplinary team with expertise in clinical oncology, genetics, health education, psychology, and health communication developed a working creative brief, from which multimedia companies could generate concept proposals. In Phase 3, the multimedia PEI was produced (video) and refined (accompanying booklet). In Phase 4, the suitability of the PEI will be evaluated with survivors and health care providers using principles of Learner Verification. The PEI content addressed factors that may influence uptake of genetic counseling including: incomplete knowledge (e.g., misperceptions about genetic counseling), health beliefs (e.g., perceived benefits), and psychosocial factors (e.g., feeling overwhelmed). The selected concept proposal focused on genetic counseling as a means to help survivors engage in their own health and use information for empowerment. The resultant PEI is a 12 minute video and accompanying booklet. The learner verification interviews are being conducted with breast cancer survivors (n=24) and health care providers (n=9) recruited through medical oncology, surgical oncology, and survivorship clinics. This project produced a multimedia tool to facilitate uptake of genetic counseling among high-risk breast cancer survivors. If evaluated favorably by survivors in the current study and deemed effective in future studies, this PEI can be adapted for use in clinical settings. Also, the processes described for creating, testing, and adapting materials is highly transferable for the development of other cancer content-specific PEIs. This information will provide researchers with an approach to moving observational findings toward the development and assessment of the acceptability of a psychoeducational intervention to promote behavior change. The topic of this project is to increase uptake of genetic counseling among high-risk breast cancer survivors meeting National Comprehensive Cancer Network criteria for referral to a genetic professional. Clinicians will learn more about patient barriers to uptake of genetic