title: Cancer education for Community Health Aides/Practitioners (CHA/Ps) in Alaska assessing comfort with cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Village-based Community Health Aides and Community Health Practitioners (CHA/Ps) are the primary providers of health care in rural Alaska.
  
  
  METHODS
  We discuss the development and results of a CHA/P cancer self-assessment survey, which assessed comfort with cancer knowledge and providing cancer information.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 402 responses were received from a mailed questionnaire to 477 CHA/Ps. Respondents were predominantly Alaska Native women. Using a 5-point Likert scale from don't know to very comfortable, approximately 50% of CHA/Ps reported feeling "OK" when providing information about cancer risk factors, cancer screening, surviving cancer, and providing care and support. CHA/Ps reported feeling less comfortable with discussing cancer diagnosis, treatment, pain, and loss and grief.
authors.affiliation: Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, Anchorage, 99508, USA. mcueva@anmc.org
authors.forename: Melany
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cueva
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lanier
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dignan
authors.forename: Regina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kuhnley
authors.forename: Crystal
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jenkins
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000413:Alaska; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003150:Community Health Workers / Q000193:education*; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American; D004930:Inuit; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms; D012307:Risk Factors