Breast cancer: Online education’s effect on clinician ability to assess risk of recurrence and understanding the latest data.

Abstract

e12509 Background: Hormone receptor positive breast cancer (HR+ BC) is often diagnosed in the early, curable, stage. Emerging treatment options make it important to educate clinicians on how to identify patients eligible for these options and increase their understanding of the clinical data associated with therapies in HR+/HER2- early breast cancer (EBC). The study objective was to assess the impact of 2 educational activities on HR+/HER2- EBC on oncologists’ knowledge, competence, and confidence related to risk of recurrence and clinical data. Methods: Two online continuing medical education activities were launched in 2021 covering a range of topics focused on identification of patients at high risk of recurrence and the latest clinical trial data for CDK4/6 inhibitors (CDK4/6i) in HR+/HER2- EBC. Educational impact was assessed using a repeated pair design, with knowledge/competence and confidence questions pre- and post-education. Confidence was assessed on a Likert-type scale ranging from not confident to very confident. Questions were designed to assess if certain learning objectives (LOs), covering identified educational gaps, were met. Data was collected from 06/14/2021 to 01/31/2022. Statistical significance was assessed using McNemar’s test ( P < .05 level). Results: 5,544 learners participated in these 2 activities, including 727 oncologists. The LOs were grouped in 3 themes that assessed oncologists’ knowledge/competence and confidence related to identifying patients with HR+/HER2- EBC at high risk of recurrence and understanding the clinical trial data investigating CDK4/6i in this setting. Two themes showed a significant improvement. The number of oncologist learners assessed per theme differed from 228 to 260. Conclusions: Participation in text- and video-based activities resulted in a significant improvement of oncologists’ knowledge, competence, and confidence related to CDK4/6i clinical data and treatment eligibility for patients with HR+/HER2- EBC. Baseline knowledge regarding the identification of high risk of recurrence in HR+/HER2-EBC was high (89% correct responses pre-education) in comparison that of clinical trial data and confidence in identification of patients eligible for adjuvant therapy (54% and 21% respectively). This finding could be reflective of clinicians having a high-level knowledge and competence related to risk stratification prior to the developments that occurred secondary to the approval of CDK4/6i in the adjuvant setting. With these new developments additional education around this topic will be required.[Table: see text]