A sexual health e-learning resource was acceptable and usable among patients with cancer, according to a poster presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology Congress 2022. The resource helped enhance health care professionals’ beliefs and attitudes toward health care professional-led sexual support for patients with cancer. “Sexual support is often sidelined in cancer care, with health care professionals reporting a lack of access to education and supporting resources,” the authors said.
The “Talking About Sex After Cancer” e-learning resource was developed to enhance the provision of health care professional-led sexual support in cancer care. The resource was designed to improve awareness and equip health care professionals to deliver routine sexual care to patients and their partners. It provides health care professionals with the language, structure, and content to guide conversations around sexual well-being and cancer, and it can be used as an information source. Additionally, it includes a Continuing Professional Development certificate.
In their study, the researchers surveyed health care professionals providing routine cancer care on the use of the e-learning resource and measured responses to the Sexual Attitudes and Beliefs Survey (SABS) at 2 timepoints.
There was a significant increase in SABS scores from Time 1 to Time 2 (P<.001), demonstrating a significant decrease in the attitudinal barriers to providing sexual support in cancer care.
Health care professional reported most liking the patient stories video, signposting links, and downloadable resources. They reported least liking the resource’s scroll functionality.
Possible areas of improvement included adding further referral information for specific patient populations and additional demonstrations of health care professional/patient conversations.
Source:
Bingham S, Semple C, Flannagan C, Dunwoody L. Enhancing healthcare professional-led sexual support in cancer care: acceptability and usability of an e-Learning resource and its impact on attitudes towards providing sexual support. Poster CN53. Presented at the ESMO Congress 2022; September 9-13, 2022; Paris, France.
