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Context: Oral cancer is the third common cancer in India. Its mortality can be reduced through early detection and tobacco cessation ideally by dentists owing to their forte of work. Aim: This study was conducted to discuss effectiveness of an advanced tele-mentoring programme in oral cancer screening and tobacco cessation for dentists across India. Settings and Design: Online, interventional study. Methods and Material: The 14-week long training programme with 52 participants/spokes from across India had weekly hour-long online sessions comprising of an expert-led didactic and case discussions by spokes. Online evaluation (pre- and post-training, post-session), weekly and post-one-year feedback were conducted. Successful spokes attended a hands-on workshop subsequently. Statistical Analysis Used: One and independent sample t-tests determined the significance of the evaluation scores of the participants. Findings on attitudes and practice-related questions are presented as simple percentages. Results: A notable increase in the overall and per-session mean knowledge score, and confidence in oral cancer screening was observed. Many participants started these services at their clinics, thereby reducing further referrals, and were also motivated to spread community awareness about the same. Conclusion: This tele-mentoring programme, based on the novel Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes model, is the first oral cancer screening training programme for dentists. This model-comprising of expert didacts, case discussions, and significant spoke-expert interaction-is a promising best-practices tool for reducing the disparity in knowledge and skills regarding oral cancer prevention among dentists across different locations. This would enable these most appropriate healthcare providers to contribute toward the overall goal of oral cancer prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Nurses are the foundation of the Indian health system. They play a crucial role in primary care and implementation of community-centered government health initiatives such as cancer screening. The purpose of this manuscript is to share the experience of this educational intervention study and emphasize the need for drastic medical education reforms to include curricula to strengthen knowledge about cancer screening among nursing students. Methods: A one-day workshop on "Cervical and breast cancer screening" was conducted for nursing students pursuing BSc Nursing (Group 1) and General Nursing and Midwifery (GNM) (Group 2) in India. A structured, self-administered questionnaire was administered among consented participants before and after the workshop to assess their knowledge and awareness on the subject at the baseline and the improvement they gained after the workshop. Results: Ninety-one students attempted both pre and post-surveys, of which 56 were from Group 1 and 35 from Group 2. Students demonstrated statistically significant improvements in knowledge on cervical and breast cancer screening after participating in the workshop. Conclusion: Undergraduate nursing education curricula must undergo medical education reform to include education and training for nurses in cancer screening and further motivate their increased participation in preventive cancer screening programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]