Helping Families Communicate About HBC and Ovarian Cancer

From 2022-2023, the FMEC convened a learning network of 10 family medicine residency programs to examine how narrative medicine and specifically the videos and stories from the CDC Bring Your Brave (BYB) campaign can improve family medicine’s ability to stimulate authentic conversations that lead to action around breast cancer risk.

Participating family medicine residency programs convened virtually to learn about women’s hereditary cancer risk, using videos and stories in training and in clinic, and supporting women to learn about their risk, get testing, and find community supports. Educational sessions focused on risk and screening, what is narrative medicine and how to integrate it into teaching and practice, and referral to genetic testing and counseling.

A product developed through the initiative is the web-based CME series, Confidence in Hereditary Cancer Discussion for Primary Care Providers. These seven 15-20 minute modules are approved for AAFP CME credit (see above).

Nearly all residents and faculty respondents indicated that they had, or planned to, share the Bring Your Brave resources with patients. Over the course of the Collaborative, they reached approximately 101 patients using Bring Your Brave Campaign materials or strategies. In addition, participants have indicated that they have or planned to share the information with colleagues, community support organizations, and other groups outside their programs, citing the immediate potential to reach over 550 individuals with Bring Your Brave information. All participating faculty reported that they intend to integrate teaching about the Bring Your Brave materials into their programs.

The following residency programs completed the narrative medicine and breast cancer project:

• Geisinger Lewistown Rural Family Medicine Residency, Lewistown, PA

• Greater Lawrence Family Medicine Residency, Lawrence, MA

• Howard Univ College of Medicine/Howard Univ Hospital, Washington, DC

• LewisGale Medical Center Family Medicine Residency, Salem, VA

• Middlesex Health Family Medicine Residency, Middletown, CT

• Penn Medicine, Lancaster General Health Family Medicine Residency, Lancaster, PA

• St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital Family Medicine Residency, Youngstown, OH

• Temple University Hospital Family Medicine Residency, Philadelphia, PA

• UConn Family Medicine Residency Program, Hartford, CT

• UHS Wilson Family Medicine Residency, Johnson City, NY

The narrative medicine and breast cancer project was funded by the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors through funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). If you are interested in working with the FMEC on breast cancer initiatives, please contact Scott Allen at scott.allen@fmec.net. 

For more information, please read the project’s Final Report or visit https://www.fmec.net/breast-and-ovarian-cancer-phase-1.