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.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bray F, Ren JS, Masuyer E, Ferlay J. Global estimates of cancer prevalence for 27 sites in the adult population in 2008. Int J Cancer. 2013;132(5):1133–45.
Jemal A, Siegel R, Xu J, Ward E. Cancer statistics, 2010. CA Cancer J Clin. 2010;60(5):277–300.
Cheung WY, Aziz N, Noone AM, Rowland JH, Potosky AL, Ayanian JZ, et al. Physician preferences and attitudes regarding different models of cancer survivorship care: a comparison of primary care providers and oncologists. J Cancer Surviv. 2013;7(3):343–54.
Erikson C, Salsberg E, Forte G, Bruinooge S, Goldstein M. Future supply and demand for oncologists: challenges to assuring access to oncology services. J Oncol Pract Am Soc Clin Oncol. 2007;3(2):79–86.
Grunfeld E, Levine MN, Julian JA, Coyle D, Szechtman B, Mirsky D, et al. Randomized trial of long-term follow-up for early-stage breast cancer: a comparison of family physician versus specialist care. J Clin Oncol. 2006;24(6):848–55.
Nazorg bij kanker: de rol van de eerste lijn. KWF Kankerbestrijding2011.
Lewis RA, Neal RD, Williams NH, France B, Hendry M, Russell D, et al. Follow-up of cancer in primary care versus secondary care: systematic review. Br J Gen Pract. 2009;59(564):e234–47.
Virgo KS, Lerro CC, Klabunde CN, Earle C, Ganz PA. Barriers to breast and colorectal cancer survivorship care: perceptions of primary care physicians and medical oncologists in the United States. J Clin Oncol. 2013;31(18):2322–36. doi:10.1200/JCO.2012.45.6954.
Kantsiper M, McDonald EL, Geller G, Shockney L, Snyder C, Wolff AC. Transitioning to breast cancer survivorship: perspectives of patients, cancer specialists, and primary care providers. J Gen Intern Med. 2009;24 Suppl 2:S459–66. doi:10.1007/s11606-009-1000-2.
Ganz PA, Hahn EE. Implementing a survivorship care plan for patients with breast cancer. J Clin Oncol. 2008;26(5):759–67.
Earle CC, Ganz PA. Cancer survivorship care: don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good. J Clin Oncol. 2012;30(30):3764–8.
Dicicco-Bloom B, Cunningham RS. The experience of information sharing among primary care clinicians with cancer survivors and their oncologists. J Cancer Surviv. 2012;7(1):124–30.
Roorda C, Berendsen AJ, Haverkamp M, van der Meer K, de Bock GH. Discharge of breast cancer patients to primary care at the end of hospital follow-up: a cross-sectional survey. Eur J Cancer. 2013;49(8):1836–44.
Hewitt M, Greenfield S, Stovall E. From cancer patient to cancer survivor: lost in transition. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press; 2005.
Shalom MM, Hahn EE, Casillas J, Ganz PA. Do survivorship care plans make a difference? A primary care provider perspective. J Oncol Pract Am Soc Clin Oncol. 2011;7(5):314–8.
Mayer DK, Gerstel A, Leak AN, Smith SK. Patient and provider preferences for survivorship care plans. J Oncol Pract Am Soc Clin Oncol. 2012;8(4):e80–6.
Grunfeld E, Julian JA, Pond G, Maunsell E, Coyle D, Folkes A, et al. Evaluating survivorship care plans: results of a randomized, clinical trial of patients with breast cancer. J Clin Oncol. 2011;29(36):4755–62.
Smith SL, Wai ES, Alexander C, Singh-Carlson S. Caring for survivors of breast cancer: perspective of the primary care physician. Curr Oncol (Toronto, Ont). 2011;18(5):e218–26.
van de Poll-Franse LV, Nicolaije KA, Vos MC, Pijnenborg JM, Boll D, Husson O, et al. The impact of a cancer Survivorship Care Plan on gynecological cancer patient and health care provider reported outcomes (ROGY Care): study protocol for a pragmatic cluster randomized controlled trial. Trials. 2011;12:256.
Nicolaije KA, Ezendam NP, Vos MC, Pijnenborg JM, van de Poll-Franse LV, Kruitwagen RF. Oncology providers’ evaluation of the use of an automatically generated cancer survivorship care plan: longitudinal results from the ROGY Care trial. J Cancer Surviv. 2013. doi:10.1007/s11764-013-0327-1.
Tuinman MA, Gazendam-Donofrio SM, Hoekstra-Weebers JE. Screening and referral for psychosocial distress in oncologic practice: use of the Distress Thermometer. Cancer. 2008;113(4):870–8.
Del Giudice ME, Grunfeld E, Harvey BJ, Piliotis E, Verma S. Primary care physicians’ views of routine follow-up care of cancer survivors. J Clin Oncol. 2009;27(20):3338–45.
Adams E, Boulton M, Rose P, Lund S, Richardson A, Wilson S, et al. Views of cancer care reviews in primary care: a qualitative study. Br J Gen Pract. 2011;61(585):173–82.
Bober SL, Recklitis CJ, Campbell EG, Park ER, Kutner JS, Najita JS, et al. Caring for cancer survivors: a survey of primary care physicians. Cancer. 2009;115(18 Suppl):4409–18.
Salz T, Oeffinger KC, Lewis PR, Williams RL, Rhyne RL, Yeazel MW. Primary care providers’ needs and preferences for information about colorectal cancer survivorship care. J Am Board Fam Med. 2012;25(5):635–51.
Watson EK, Sugden EM, Rose PW. Views of primary care physicians and oncologists on cancer follow-up initiatives in primary care: an online survey. J Cancer Surviv. 2010;4(2):159–66.
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.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Trial registration: www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT01185626).
Electronic supplementary material
Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.
ESM 1
(PDF 169 kb)
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
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
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11764-014-0368-0