Building Workforce Capacity in Pediatric, Adolescent, and Young Adult Cancer Survivorship: Evaluation of a National Project ECHO® Program.
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PURPOSE: Pediatric, adolescent, and young adult (PAYA) cancer survivors face complex long-term medical and psychosocial needs for which many health care professionals lack training. This study evaluated the PAYA Cancer Survivorship Extension for Community Health care Outcomes (ECHO) program, a virtual, case-based telementoring program, in improving health care professionals' self-reported knowledge and confidence in survivorship care. METHODS: A mixed-methods evaluation was done for the 12-session ECHO program (June 2024-May 2025). Surveys assessed changes in self-reported knowledge and confidence (5-point Likert scale), likelihood of applying learning, implementation barriers, and session impact. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: Participants included 219 health care professionals from 153 organizations across the 36 U.S. states, one federal district, and 5 countries. Average session attendance was 57 (M = 56.83, SD = 13.07). Self-reported knowledge increased from 2.8 to 3.5 with confidence increasing from 2.7 to 3.4; gains were statistically significant across all 11 content sessions (p < 0.05). Participants reported a high likelihood to apply session content (mean ratings 3.1-4.6 on a 5-point scale), with all sessions except Session 1 exceeding 4.2. The most frequently cited barriers to applying content were lack of resources (26%), lack of time (23%), need for more training (23%); 10% reported no opportunities to apply information, and 37% (n = 130) reported no barriers. CONCLUSION: The ECHO program improved health care professionals' knowledge and confidence in PAYA survivorship care, with high intent to apply learning. Findings informed the launch of additional ECHO programs. Future efforts should further engage primary care providers and address barriers to translating knowledge into practice.