How Was the Toolbox Developed?
The Cancer Survival Toolbox was developed through a unique collaboration among several oncology organizations: the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS), the Association of Oncology Social Work (AOSW), the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) and later, the National Association of Social Workers (NASW).
The Toolbox development team employed the assistance of more than a dozen review organizations to ensure the relevance and utility of the content of the initial Cancer Survival Toolbox. Some of these review organizations include the Intercultural Cancer Council, The R.A. Bloch Cancer Foundation, the Lymphoma Research Foundation of America, the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition and the Children's Brain Tumor Foundation. As new modules are added, additional stakeholders are asked to provide input. Currently, there are seven development team members representing the four organizations, and the program receives funding from multiple sources.
To determine the need for the self-advocacy training and the content it would include, the development team conducted a literature search, organized focus groups at oncology association conferences, and fielded multiple surveys of cancer survivors, oncology nurses and social workers. The results of these measures supported the need for the development of the Cancer Survival Toolbox and the self-advocacy training that comes with it.
You can listen to the Toolbox now, download it from iTunes as a podcast, or order a set of CDs to be sent to you. You can also make this program available in your community using our Toolbox to Go.
