# Cancer Genetics Professional Education in a Global Community of Practice

> **NIH NIH R25** · BECKMAN RESEARCH INSTITUTE/CITY OF HOPE · 2021 · $260,473

## Abstract

Technological and therapeutic advances have generated an unprecedented infusion of genomic information
into clinical practice, further fueling the need for a skilled workforce to navigate genomically-informed patient
care. Recent national surveys document the continued gap between the need for, and availability of, skilled
genomic cancer risk assessment (GCRA) clinicians. This R25 proposal is to continue the mission of the
Clinical Cancer Genomics and Community of Practice (CCGCoP) to help address the growing demand for
clinicians competent in evidence-based cancer genomics care. The CCGCoP uses the theoretical framework
of situated learning, the resources and expertise of the academic cancer center, and a distinguished faculty of
widely-recognized thought leaders to deliver a multimodal inter-professional course in GCRA to clinicians
practicing in diverse communities with limited access to GCRA services. In the current project period we fully
developed web-based GCRA case conferencing as the central source of case-based skills development for the
course and converted the course delivery to a two-track model (full spectrum with face-to-face workshops, and
full spectrum content via distance only), which enabled us to exceed projected scaled up accrual, while
ensuring that all participants would receive content covering the full spectrum of cancer genetics syndromes.
During the current project period, 411 clinicians from diverse practice settings have completed the course or
are currently in session; 19% were underrepresented minorities (14% Hispanic, 5% African American) and
10% were Asian; 54% (223) provide clinical services to socio-economically underserved patient populations,
and 12% (50) practice in low/middle income countries. Full accrual, with a strong evaluation component
documenting significant gains in knowledge, skills and practice change, further support the efficacy of the
CCGCoP as a powerful educational resource to help clinicians understand, interpret and integrate complex
genomic information into patient care. Comparable gains by participants in both course tracks supports the
potential to further increase capacity and reach of the CCGCoP through distance-only course implementation,
assuming additional efficiencies in our learning management platforms. With R25 support, the CCGCoP has
attained international recognition as a standard-bearer in GCRA professional education, facilitating improved
patient access to GCRA services. The CCGCoP alumni represent a uniquely qualified community of clinicians
across all 50 states and 27 countries. The proposal aims are: 1) Continue the established CCGCoP intensive
course; 2) Review and update course curriculum, and map content to inter-professional GCRA competencies;
3) Evolve the collaborative learning portal and add additional academic GCRA case conference forums; 4)
Update course assessment instruments and develop new competencies-based diagnostics to assess learning
and impact on patient-...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10251122
- **Project number:** 5R25CA171998-09
- **Recipient organization:** BECKMAN RESEARCH INSTITUTE/CITY OF HOPE
- **Principal Investigator:** KATHLEEN R. BLAZER
- **Activity code:** R25 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $260,473
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2013-09-01 → 2023-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10251122

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10251122, Cancer Genetics Professional Education in a Global Community of Practice (5R25CA171998-09). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10251122. Licensed CC0.

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