ICI Education & Training Mission Statement

The ICI Preceptorship Program Mission is to measurably contribute to cancer patients’ safety and health outcomes and to support practice improvement by providing CME/CPD activities that enhance the ability of Physicians and other health-care team members to deliver quality and optimal healthcare services.

Purpose

The purpose of the ICI Preceptorship Program is to develop educational activities that clearly link the needs of the learner/participants with the planning process, format and delivery of each activity, resulting in high quality continuing medical education/continued Professional development opportunities that will increase the knowledge, competence and performance of healthcare providers.

Content Areas

The ICI Preceptorship Program activities include practical, evidence-based, best clinical practice information for a broad variety of common oncology and hematology conditions, innovations in primary and specialty patient care in NCDs, new procedural training and specialty fora. Appropriate content for each course is determined based on the results of a practice gap analysis relative to the target audience’s scope of practice, as well as the identified expected outcomes. Content is free of commercial bias.

General Target Audience: ICI Preceptorship/CME/CPD activities focus on the needs of generalist and specialist physicians and other multidisciplinary health-care team members at ICI affiliated cancer centers nationally and in sub-Saharan Africa as appropriate.

Type of Activities Provided by ICI

In order to accomplish our educational goals, ICI CME uses a range of activity formats based on the content and desired results of the activity. Current offerings include live and video conferenced activities, live regularly scheduled series, internet CME activities, enduring materials and hands-on skills workshops. ICI also jointly sponsors activities with regional specialty societies, non-profit educational organizations and government agencies when mutually desired goals and outcomes are best achieved by such relationships.

Expected Outcomes of the ICI Preceptorship Program

ICI Preceptorship/CME/CPD is committed to assessing the impact and effectiveness of its CME/CPD Program. ICI courses are designed to: increase knowledge of new treatments, diagnostic tools and procedures; improve compliance with specific evidence-based standard of care protocols; improve competence, performance and/or patient outcomes; and promote efficient use of resources. We employ assessment methods to evaluate the extent to which our activities result in changes in knowledge, competence and performance. CME activities in conjunction with quality improvement projects have measurable outcomes to report. An emphasis during the planning process is placed on intended learning and desired change in knowledge, competence and performance. The ICI Education and Training Office works in collaboration with other departments/offices of the International Cancer Institute and its partners who are involved and interested in quality improvement processes and patient safety.

Target Audience

The primary target audience for this course comprise the clinical and non-clinical staff members of ICI or ICI affiliated partners, in addition to external health care providers who include but are not limited to palliative care specialists, physicians, medical officers, oncology clinical officers, oncology nurses, Oncology pharmacists, data managers, IT officers, Program Managers, Program coordinators, M&E Officers, System developers, Palliative care nurses, Office administrators, Transport and Logistics Officers, General Managers, Directors, Security officers, Office assistants among others. This course is structured in two levels: level one course content is targeted for both operational level and management level health professionals while level two content is specific to managerial level health care providers. In general, the course is intended to improve the aspects of communication among health care professionals who form a multidisciplinary team in cancer care management across sub-Saharan Africa.

Statement of Need

New developments in cancer treatment and care are often not widely disseminated, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, resulting in patients not receiving the best or most up-to-date care. Health care providers need current information in all factors related to cancer and NCD treatment, including screening, diagnosing, surgical and non-surgical strategies and overall management of patients with cancer and other NCDs.

This course is important since it will enable the participants manage communication in delivery of service, ultimately leading to patient satisfaction, organizational growth and enhance organizational image of ICI and its partners.