The U.S. women’s health organization Bright Pink has created online courses designed to improve care providers’ ability to manage their patients’ risk of developing ovarian and breast cancer.
The courses consist of interactive exercises drawn from real cases. The goal is to give participants new skills in working collaboratively with patients and engaging in shared decision-making when assessing risk and developing personalized cancer prevention and management plans. Participants can take the course at their own pace.
“Bright Pink is committed to ensuring women can rely on their providers as trusted partners in their breast and ovarian health management,” Deborah Lindner, the organization’s chief medical officer, said in a press release. “Our new online courses allow us to deliver our education to providers where they are, in their daily practice.” This means extending “the reach of our programming to a broader audience of providers and improving preventive care for an even larger number of female patients.”
The courses deal with ovarian and breast cancer risk stratification and risk management. They are available for continuing medical education (CME), continuing education (CE) and general education credit for women’s health physicians and nurse practitioners through the Illinois Academy of Family Physicians (IAFP) and the National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health (NPWH).
The courses are part of Bright Pink’s Women’s Health Provider Education Initiative, whose objective is to improve preventive ovarian and breast cancer care. The initiative has already reached more than 18,000 care providers through lectures at academic institutions.
“We’re proud to partner with Bright Pink to provide accreditation for these courses and to join in their efforts to make continuing education more accessible to front-line family physicians throughout the country,” said Vince Keenan, the executive vice president of IAFP.
Another risk evaluation tool that Bright Pink developed is its AssessYourRisk.org platform, which has reached more than 900,000 women. After assessing their risk, a woman is encouraged to discuss the results with their care provider so they can develop a risk management plan.
Bright Pink also offers women a range of other resources. This includes helping them collect their family history and explore their genetics, guidance on a healthy lifestyle and tips for practicing self-awareness.
Women can also get involved in the organization’s activities. Examples are joining the Bright Collective, hosting an educational workshop, attending or hosting a fundraiser, becoming a volunteer or becoming a sponsor.