A Community Engagement Approach to Improving Communication With Black Men About Oral and Pharyngeal Cancers

Aim 1: Adapt an existing OPC patient communication tool into a culturally- specific OPC patient communication (COPC) tool to address OPCs among Black men.

Aim 1a: We will use a mixed methods study design to conduct focus groups/ interviews and surveys among Black men who reside or work in UI Health catchment areas (n=25).

Aim 1b: Up to 20 Black males will be recruited by the research team to review the communication tool and infographic and participate in discussions to assess the tool's acceptability, cultural appropriateness, and potential to improve communication with Black men about OPCs. The communication tool is a document that will be used by dentists to communicate with and screen patients for OPC in culturally sensitive manner. Based on feedback from the Aim 1b focus group participants, the research team will further revise the COPC tool to ensure that it is culturally aligned, acceptable, and appropriate.

Aim 2: Assess the COPC tool's ability to improve dental providers' communication with Black men about OPCs in a simulated environment.

We will train up to 15 dental providers to use the tool (n=15). They will receive an introduction to the tool, use the tool during a simulated patient encounter and complete an interview to assess their overall attitudes of the tool, the tool's usability, and its effectiveness in helping to improve their self-efficacy for communicating with Black men about OPCs. The dental providers will complete a one-on-one individual interview. There will not be any focus groups in Aim 2 activities.

Aim 3: Implement a pilot test of the culturally tailored OPC communication tool in community-based settings to assess the perceptions, knowledge and experiences of Black men receiving oral cancer screenings.

Aim 3a) Up to 50 Black male oral cancer screening patients will be invited to complete pre surveys and post surveys to assess the tool's effectiveness in improving their OPC knowledge and comfort discussing OPCs. Oral cancer screening examinations are offered as part of the research along with the OPC Communication Tool, the OPC Infographic and the surveys. Participants have the option of NOT completing the oral cancer screening examinations but still completing the rest of the research.

Aim 3b) Up to 50 Dentists and dental students will use the OPC Communication Tool and OPC Infographic to conduct oral cancer screenings. Oral cancer screening examinations are offered as part of the research along with the OPC Communication Tool, the OPC Infographic and the surveys. Participants have the option of NOT completing the oral cancer screening examinations but still completing the rest of the research. The dentists and dental students conducting the OPC screenings will complete a demographic survey and a post survey.

Aim 1a Inclusion Criteria

• Self-Identify as African American or Black 2) Self-Identify as male 3) Age 18 and over 4) Reside or work in the UI Cancer Center catchment area Exclusion Criteria

• Does not self-identify as African American or Black
• Does not self-identify as male
• Less than Age 18
• Does not reside or work in the UI Cancer Center catchment area
• Is a dental professional or dental student

Aim 1b Inclusion Criteria

• Self-Identify as African American or Black
• Self-Identify as male
• Age 18 and over
• Reside or work in the UI Cancer Center catchment area Exclusion Criteria

• Does not self-identify as African American or Black 2) Does not self-identify as male 3) Less than Age 18 4) Does not reside or work in the UI Cancer Center catchment area 5) Is a dental professional or dental student Aim 2 Inclusion Criteria

• Licensed as a general dentist in IL
• Age 18 and over
• Practice general dentistry in the University of Illinois Cancer Center catchment area
• Self-reported to provide general dentistry care to at least one Black male patient per week Exclusion Criteria

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• Not licensed as a general dentist in IL
• Not Age 18 and over
• Does not practice general dentistry in the University of Illinois Cancer Center catchment area
• Does not self-report to provide general dentistry care to at least one Black male patient per week

Aim 3a Inclusion Criteria for Oral Cancer Screening patients 1) Self-Identify as African American or Black 2) Self-Identify as male 3) Age 18 and over 4) Reside or work in the UI Cancer Center catchment area Exclusion Criteria for Oral Cancer Screening patients

• Does not self-identify as African American or Black
• Does not self-identify as male
• Less than Age 18
• Dentists and/ or Dental Students

Aim 3b Inclusion Criteria for Dentists and/or Dental students

• Licensed as a general dentist or legally able to provide dental screenings under the direct supervision of a dentist licensed in Illinois
• Age 18 and over
• Practice general dentistry in the University of Illinois Cancer Center catchment area
• Dental students must be either a third or fourth year dental student enrolled at UIC College of Dentistry Exclusion Criteria for Dentists and/or Dental students

• Not licensed as a general dentist in IL or is not legally able to provide dental screenings under the direct supervision of dentist licensed in Illinois 2) Not Age 18 and over 3) Does not practice general dentistry in the University of Illinois Cancer Center catchment area 4) Dental students must not be at a level below that of a third or fourth year dental student enrolled at UIC College of Dentistry