Usefulness of Podcasts to Provide Public Education on Prostate Cancer Genetics. Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases

Podcasts represent a novel way to reach large audiences for public education. Genetic evaluation has important implications for prostate cancer (PCa) care but is underutilized. We created a series of five podcasts about PCa genetics and tested their usefulness in raising awareness and providing education to lay audiences. We recruited 157 men and women from the general public and 100 patients with PCa from across the U.S., who listened to a podcast and completed an online survey. The outcomes included perceived usefulness, relevance to informational needs, satisfaction and ease of use, as well as genetic knowledge and attitudes toward genetic testing after listening to the podcasts. Podcasts were associated with higher perceived usefulness and high rates of knowledge for patients with PCa and the general public and particularly for Black/Hispanic populations and those with a family history of PCa. Podcasts represent a promising new educational tool to raise awareness about PCa genetic evaluation, particularly for high-risk groups. The study was published in Nature: Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases.