title: Building cancer control capacity: a mixed-method evaluation of the Research to Reality (R2R) Mentorship Program.
abstract: In 2011, the National Cancer Institute launched the Research to Reality (R2R) Pilot Mentorship Program to enhance mentees' core evidence-based public health (EBPH) competencies. In this article, we describe the program and its evaluation results and the program's ability to improve participants' EBPH competencies and appropriateness of program components. Program evaluation consisted of a pre/post program competency questionnaire and interviews with mentees, mentors, mentees' supervisors, and program staff. Mentees reported the same or higher rating in every competency at end of the program, with average increase of 0.6 points on a 4-point scale; the greatest improvements were seen in policy development/program planning. Mentorship programs are a promising strategy to develop EBPH competencies, provide guidance, and disseminate and adapt evidence-based interventions within real-world context.
authors.affiliation: National Cancer Institute, 9609 Medical Center Dr, Rockville, MD 20850. E-mail: sanchezgarciama@mail.nih.gov.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sanchez
authors.affiliation: SAIC-Frederick, Inc, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland.
authors.forename: E Peyton
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Purcell
authors.affiliation: Westat, Rockville, Maryland.
authors.forename: Joan S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Michie
authors.affiliation: Westat, Rockville, Maryland.
authors.forename: Sophia P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Tsakraklides
authors.affiliation: MS1.
authors.forename: Madeline
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: La Porta
authors.affiliation: National Cancer Institute, Rockville, Maryland.
authors.forename: Cynthia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vinson
mesh_terms: D035843:Biomedical Research; D003150:Community Health Workers / Q000193:education*; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003657:Decision Making; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D008611:Mentors; D054547:National Cancer Institute (U.S.); D009369:Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D014481:United States