Promoting cancer prevention activities among Vietnamese physicians in California

Abstract

Background: To promote prevention and early detection of cancer, the authors conducted a three-year intervention targeting Vietnamese physicians in solo practice in California.

Methods: Twenty subjects who had received their medical training in Vietnam were recruited into a randomized controlled trial. The intervention included computerized or manual cancer screening reminders, continuing medical education seminars, Vietnamese-language health education materials, newsletters, and oncology data-query programs. Evaluation included chart audits for eight targeted activities pre- and post-intervention.

Results: Before the intervention, annual physician performance rates were low for all eight activities: routine checkups (65.6%), Pap testing (13.8%), pelvic examinations (19.8%), clinical breast examinations (13.3%), mammography (6.4%), hepatitis B serologies (21.9%), hepatitis B immunizations (12.8%), and smoking cessation counseling (1.6%). After the intervention, performance rates increased significantly for smoking cessation counseling (p = 0.02), Pap testing (p = 0.004), and pelvic examinations (p = 0.01).

Conclusions: The results demonstrate the efficacy of an intervention targeting Vietnamese primary care physicians in promoting smoking cessation counseling, Pap testing, and pelvic examinations, but not other cancer prevention activities.