VOLUNTEER FACILITATORS ASSIST COMMUNITY PRACTICES WITH ENHANCING CANCER CONTROL

Objective: To explore the feasibility of recruiting, training, and pla cing in the field volunteers to assist community practices in enhancin g the provision of preventive care. Design: A case series design follo wed ed up a cohort of volunteers prospectively as they were recruited, trained, and assigned to practices. Setting: The New Hampshire Divisi on of the American Cancer Society recruited and trained the volunteer facilitators. Intervention: Assistance from the volunteers in implemen ting a preventive services office system sen ed as the intervention fo r practices. Volunteers were trained and supported by professional sta ff and an implementation manual. Main Outcome Measures: Recruitment, t raining, and volunteer experiences in working with practices, as well as the costs of supporting the program, were assessed. Results: Twenty -six volunteers were trained. Of the 15 assigned to practices, 11 had begun to assist their assigned practices to establish a preventive ser vices office system. Extensive planning, patience, and support were re quired. Conclusion: Volunteers recruited and supported by an intermedi ary organization can provide assistance to practices in implementing a preventive services office system.