Multilingual Self-Management Resources for Prostate Cancer Survivors and Their Partners: Results of a Long-Term Academic-State Health Department Partnership to Promote Survivorship Care

Urology. 2017 Dec:110:92-97. doi: 10.1016/j.urology.2017.06.017. Epub 2017 Jun 23.

Abstract

Objective: To provide innovative, evidence-based self management information and supportive care for prostate cancer survivors and their partners. We describe how an academic-public partnership facilitated the broad dissemination of evidence-based, multilingual survivorship educational materials via a state-managed prostate cancer website.

Methods: We outline the steps of an academic-public partnership leading to dissemination of online, survivorship materials as a resource for prostate cancer survivors and their partners. We examined the 5-year utilization of the materials from January 2011 to December 2015 according to 14 content areas (e.g., urinary, bowel, and sexual problems, fatigue, communication, cancer stress) and across 3 languages (English, Spanish, Arabic).

Results: The total number of prostate cancer survivorship materials downloaded from January 2011 to December 2015 was 89,348. The number of downloaded materials increased over time from 6,421 in 2011 to 17,496 in 2015. The most commonly downloaded content area was urine problems (27.5%), followed by bowel problems (23.4%) and sexual side effects (16.2%). The majority of downloaded materials was in English (86.3%), followed by Spanish (9.8%) and Arabic (3.9%).

Conclusion: The academic-public partnership facilitated broad dissemination of evidence-based informational materials for prostate cancer survivors and their partners through a state-managed website from 2011 to 2015. Given the increasing role of academic-public partnerships in funding and development of robust, sustainable prostate cancer survivorship resources, this work serves as an introduction to these evidence-based materials and highlights a successful model of engagement between practitioners, research scientists, and public health administration.

MeSH terms

  • Academies and Institutes
  • Cancer Survivors*
  • Health Education*
  • Health Resources
  • Humans
  • Internet
  • Language
  • Male
  • Patient Education as Topic*
  • Prostatic Neoplasms* / therapy
  • Public Sector
  • Self-Management*
  • Sexual Partners*
  • Spouses*
  • Teaching Materials