Education

In 2021, we focused on the importance of increasing diversity in clinical trials. After feedback from focus groups with members of the Black and African American communities, Spanish-language speakers, and older adults, we revised and re-released our award-winning Clinical Trials Photo Narrative in English and Spanish; developed several new pieces to reach audiences historically underrepresented in clinical trials; wrote a patient-provider conversation starter on clinical trials; and produced explanatory videos in English and Spanish featuring our animated community navigator, Ruby. Finally, we launched a Spanish-language version of our Clinical Trials web page, Ensayos clínicos para el cáncer.

CSC’s Biosimilars program started the year with the premiere of our booklet on “What Is a Biosimilar Drug?” By year’s end, we’d added three videos, including an updated e-Learning Quick Guide, animated explainers, an infographic and a webinar with a pharmacist. All were produced in English and Spanish. We also launched a survey to probe patient perceptions of biosimilars and began preparations for a 2022 patient advocacy group summit on biosimilar patient education.

In 2021, we expanded and amplified our precision medicine program to address the unmet needs of people impacted by cancer about this important topic. This included the development of a Precision Medicine Lexicon based on patient insights. We also created multiple print and online pieces aimed at improving patient-provider communication and increasing patient/caregiver knowledge and confidence about precision medicine. Our efforts also included a partnership with The Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators (AONN+), involving outreach to health care providers on the psychosocial impact of precision medicine. In total, there were over 26,000 engagements with the program in 2021.