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Survivorship Care Plans to inform the primary care physician: results from the ROGY care pragmatic cluster randomized controlled trial

Journal of Cancer Survivorship Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

This study assesses the effect of sending a Survivorship Care Plan (SCP) to primary care physicians (PCP) on the communication of the PCP with the medical specialist and the patient and to describe PCPs’ opinions regarding the SCP.

Methods

In a pragmatic cluster randomized controlled trial conducted in 12 hospitals, the PCP of endometrial and ovarian cancer patients received usual information, while in addition the SCP-care arm received a copy of the patient’s SCP.

Results

A questionnaire was returned by 266 PCPs (76 %). One third of the PCPs in the SCP-care arm indicated having received an SCP. PCPs in the SCP-care arm were more likely to have had personal contact with the medical specialist (52 vs. 37 %, p = 0.01) but were equally satisfied with the information as PCPs in the usual care arm (7.2 vs. 6.9 on a scale from 1 to 10, p = 0.25). Of all PCPs, 82 % indicated they would want to receive an SCP in the future. A quarter of the PCPs who received an SCP reported that the SCP supported contact with the patient. However, the SCP was found too long.

Conclusions

Supplying an SCP to PCPs potentially has a positive effect on the communication between the PCP and the medical specialist. The SCP should be concise and focused on PCPs’ needs, such as contact information and tailored information on patient diagnosis, treatment, and possible consequences.

Implications for Cancer Survivors

In the light of transition of cancer care to PCPs, survivors may benefit from improved information provision and communication.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank all patients and health care providers for their participation in the study. Special thanks go to the research assistants, who helped to collect the data for this study. We would like to thank the following hospitals and institutions for their cooperation: Amphia Hospital, Breda and Oosterhout; Catharina Hospital, Eindhoven; Elkerliek Hospital, Helmond; Jeroen Bosch Hospital, ’s-Hertogenbosch; Institute Verbeeten, Tilburg; Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht; Maxima Medical Center, Eindhoven and Veldhoven; Orbis Medical Center, Sittard; St. Anna Hospital, Geldrop and Eindhoven; St. Elisabeth Hospital, Tilburg; St. Jans Hospital, Weert; TweeSteden Hospital, Tilburg and Waalwijk; VieCuri Hospital, Venlo and Venray.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethics

All procedures followed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (institutional and national) and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2000. Informed consent was obtained from all patients for being included in the study.

Funding

This work was supported by the Dutch Cancer Society, The Netherlands (UVT 2010–4743). Prof. Dr. Lonneke van de Poll-Franse is supported by a Cancer Research Award from the Dutch Cancer Society (UVT-2009-4349). The funder was not involved in the study design, collection, analysis, and interpretation of data, in the writing of the report, or in the decision to submit the article for publication. The researchers are independent of the funder.

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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nicole P. M. Ezendam.

Additional information

Trial registration: www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT01185626).

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Ezendam, N.P.M., Nicolaije, K.A.H., Kruitwagen, R.F.P.M. et al. Survivorship Care Plans to inform the primary care physician: results from the ROGY care pragmatic cluster randomized controlled trial. J Cancer Surviv 8, 595–602 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11764-014-0368-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11764-014-0368-0

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