Program Submission Process
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) Evidence-Based Cancer Control Programs (EBCCP) website is a searchable database offering easy access to materials that public health practitioners and others can use to implement cancer control interventions in clinical settings or communities.
Program developers can submit their content for inclusion on the website to help increase the program's reach and credibility. In addition, assessment ratings during the review process can help developers continue to improve their program materials over time.
How It Works
Typically, the process of adding program materials to the EBCCP website takes 6 to 9 months from initial registration to publication. Review times depend on the number of programs in queue and the availability of program materials and statistical data (e.g., effect size scores, raw data).
EBCCP Submission and Review Process
Register
Start
- Program developer submits program registration form.
Check Eligibility
3-4 weeks
- EBCCP requests program materials (e.g., implementation materials, publications, grant applications) and schedules kickoff call.
- Program developer completes initial approval form.
- Program developer chooses distribution method.
Assess Program
1-3 months
- EBCCP assigns reviewers to assess and rate program materials on various factors.
- Program developer works with EBCCP to write implementation guidance.
Approve Program Summary
3 weeks
- EBCCP drafts program summary.
- Program developer and EBCCP approve program summary.
Post Program
6-9 months following registration
- EBCCP posts the program summary and materials for users to download or a link to the developer's site for download information.
These steps are generally sequential, but some may happen in parallel or overlap.
Time frames vary depending on the number of programs in queue and the availability of program materials and statistical data (e.g., effect size scores, raw data).
Register
Complete and submit a program registration form on the EBCCP website.
Check Eligibility
Programs published on the EBCCP website must relate to one of 15 program areas:
- Breast Cancer Screening
- Cervical Cancer Screening
- Colorectal Cancer Screening
- Diet/Nutrition
- Follow-up to Screening
- Human Papillomavirus Vaccination
- Informed Decision-Making
- Lung Cancer Screening
- Obesity
- Physical Activity
- Prostate Cancer Screening
- Public Health Genomics
- Sun Safety
- Survivorship/Supportive Care
- Tobacco Control
In addition, programs must have:
- Outcomes published in a peer-reviewed journal and evaluated within the last 10 years
- One or more positive behavioral or psychosocial outcomes (p≤.05) among individuals, communities, or populations
- Outcomes demonstrated in at least one study using an experimental or quasi-experimental design
- Quasi-experimental designs do not require random assignment but do require a comparison or control group and pre- and post-assessments
- Studies that are based on single-group, pre- and post-test designs do not meet this requirement
- Messages, materials, or other components in English and available to share in a U.S. community or clinical setting
- Materials in other languages may be posted only if there's an English-language equivalent available
Assess Program
EBCCP rates program materials according to research integrity; intervention impact; dissemination capability; reach, effectiveness adoption, and implementation; and readability based on the RE-AIM framework.
Research Integrity
To assess the scientific rigor behind a program, independent subject matter experts rate research integrity according to 16 criteria. They score each criterion on a five-point scale, ranging from low quality to high quality, and average the results into an overall integrity score.
Intervention Impact
EBCCP determines whether and to what extent a program is appropriate for widespread application and dissemination. The program developer provides population reach and effect size scores for the main program outcomes, and EBCCP uses that information and its own assessment to determine the overall impact score.
Dissemination Capability
EBCCP determines whether and to what extent a program is ready for widespread use and can offer services and resources to facilitate dissemination. The team uses a five-point scale, ranging from low quality to high quality, to assess the program's implementation and quality assurance materials as well as any training and technical assistance protocols.
RE-AIM
EBCCP developed a scoring instrument to assess all but the last step in the following RE-AIM framework, assess the quality, speed, and public health impact of efforts to translate research into practice:
- Reach your intended target population
- Effectiveness or efficacy
- Adoption by target staff, settings, or institutions
- Implementation consistency, costs, and adaptations made during delivery
- Maintenance of intervention effects in individuals and settings over time
For more information on the RE-AIM framework, visit re-aim.org.
Assess Readability
EBCCP assesses the approximate grade level of reading comprehension for participant materials in English and Spanish using the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level measurement. Developed by Rudolf Flesch and J. Peter Kincaid, the Flesch-Kincaid readability scores are among the most widely used and heavily tested measures of readability. The Flesch-Kincaid grade level test uses average word length and average sentence length to calculate the U.S. school grade you would need to comprehend the material on the page. Readability scores do not factor in dissemination decisions; they are just for reference.
Plan for Distribution
Program developers can distribute approved materials in one of two ways:
- EBCCP makes the materials available for the public to download through its website.
- The developer allows EBCCP users to preview the materials via snapshots on the EBCCP website. To download the materials, users can visit the developer's website, or contact the developer to receive cost and ordering information, if applicable.
EBCCP requires developers to include written implementation guidance for their program. A template is available for developers creating a guide for the first time. See this implementation guide for reference.
Approve Program Summary
Following the review, EBCCP drafts a summary describing the program, key findings, and final ratings. For an example, see this summary of an intervention designed to enhance the quality of life for breast cancer survivors. Developers may request clarification on the ratings and suggest edits to the summary before signing a final approval form to allow EBCCP to post the content online.
Post Program
EBCCP posts the summary (online and as a PDF) and provides access to the materials either directly or indirectly on the website. Users may also have the option to download the materials via the developer's website, or contact the developer to receive cost and ordering information.
EBCCP may promote programs by gathering input from organizations that have implemented them and posting case studies to the website. It also may post information about the program in EBCCP newsletters, in other NCI newsletters, and on other NCI websites.
Questions? Contact us using this online form.