905 Moving from awareness to adoption: live virtual training equips community physicians to select first-line immunotherapy for advanced NSCLC

• Published in: Journal for immunotherapy of cancer Vol. 11; no. Suppl 1; p. A1007
• Main Authors: Wilfong, Kadrin, Beyer, Michael, Drew, Heather
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London BMJ Publishing Group Ltd 01.11.2023; BMJ Publishing Group LTD; BMJ Publishing Group
• Subjects: Clinical outcomes; Confidence; Curricula; Immunotherapy; Lung cancer; Metastasis; Patients; Regular and Young Investigator Award Abstracts
• ISSN: 2051-1426
• DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2023-SITC2023.0905

BackgroundIt is essential for medical oncologists to remain current on the evolving science supporting the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in advanced/metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and understand the implications of use of ICIs for team-based and patient-centric care. Community physicians in particular face challenges in staying updated on the current and emerging role of ICI-based regimens in lung cancer and the application of the latest evidence on ICIs in individualized treatment decision-making. Providing clinicians with appropriate education that is readily transferred to the clinic - guiding them to adopt new concepts - can have a far-reaching impact on patient outcomes. To improve clinician knowledge of and confidence in selection of first-line therapy for patients with advanced/metastatic NSCLC, a multi-faceted education curriculum was developed and measured for effectiveness.MethodsThe curriculum included two live virtual workshops open to oncologists worldwide (’global workshops’) and seven live virtual workshops for clinicians at select US medical centers (’regional workshops’) to reach targeted audiences. Interactive case discussions provided the foundation for participants to improve and apply their knowledge in developing individualized treatment plans incorporating IC-based regimens as well as live Q&A sessions, polling questions, and downloadable tools to enhance engagement and facilitate ongoing clinical transfer.ResultsIn total, 385 learners participated in the live events; specifically, there were 201 global learners (62% of whom self-identified as community clinicians) and 184 regional learners.After participating in the global workshops, learners demonstrated: • 30 ppt gain in understanding of the evidence supporting the use of investigational ICIs in the first-line treatment of advanced NSCLC32 ppt gain in skills and confidence in using ICIs in the first-line setting of advanced NSCLC31 ppt gain in intention to discuss clinical trial enrollment with all patients with metastatic NSCLCFurthermore, the percentage of learners who reported an intent to recommend combination chemoimmunotherapy for patients with newly diagnosed, advanced nonsquamous NSCLC increased from 44% to 83% in the global workshops and from 69% to 100% in the regional workshops.ConclusionsThe results of this initiative clearly demonstrate the ability of virtual live engagement to move clinicians along the education continuum from awareness to adoption in selection of first-line ICI-based regimens for patients with advanced NSCLC by increasing their knowledge, skills, and confidence. Clinicians who are confident in their knowledge and skills will take positive actions, make informed treatment decisions, and, consequently, improve patient outcomes.