The use of cancer treatment summaries and care plans among Massachusetts physicians

Abstract

Interventions are needed to make treatment summaries and care plans a part of standard care for all cancer survivors. Increasing the use of treatment summaries and care plans will require specific training and reimbursement and may be facilitated by templates that capture automated data.

Primary Care Physicians’ Perspectives of Their Role in Cancer Care: A Systematic Review

“…56,62 In one study, approximately half of PCPs reported never having received a treatment summary. 57 PCPs strongly recommended improved communication with oncologists so that they could effectively treat cancerrelated issues concurrently with oncologist-led treatment of the primary malignancy. 56,58,60,62,69,70 PCPs suggested improving post-treatment follow-up through a shared data management system, 53 such as the broad integration of electronic medical records and standard communication procedures between PCPs and specialists.…”

“…52 In terms of information preferences, 85-99 % of PCPs would have liked to have received additional information from oncologists regarding cancer treatments, 40,56,57 the referring PCP's role, 56 findings of investigations and likely prognosis, 56 the oncologist's follow-up plan, 56,57 clinical practice guidelines for survivorship care, 40 and potential short and long term sideeffects, including suggested management.…”

“…(continued on next page) a need for more information from oncologists, such as through survivorship care plans (SCP), 57 enabling them to provide ongoing care. 69 For the management of paediatric cancer survivors, one study reported that 30-40 % of PCPs had participated in a conversation with a colleague about survivorship care, participated in medical education activities, or read one or more survivorship articles, and approximately 20 % had experienced formal training, possibly as distant as during their undergraduate studies.…”

“…55,59 It has been suggested systematic communication pathways, specific information, shared electronic patient records, direct contact with oncologists, clearly defined roles and adequate remuneration are needed. 38,40,44,48,51,52,[56][57][58][59][60]65,69,70 Cancer is not the major focus of PCPs' work and for timeand resource-poor PCPs; greater effort is often diverted into other more common chronic diseases. 73 The literature suggests that PCPs valued regular and detailed systems of information sharing 52 such as patient-specific guidelines 40,44,59,69 or surveillance/care plans relating to their particular patient 40,56,57,60,69 rather than generalised training.…”

“…However, it is essential that any changes to the current model of care should also be congruent with the preferences of oncologists and patients. Of the 35 included studies, in addition to investigating PCP preferences, 11 of the studies also explored the views of oncologists and/or patients (see 39,42,46,49,50,56,57,62,63,65,72 for recent studies of patient and oncologist preferences); however, these results were not reported as part of this review. The search strategy also excluded intervention studies; however, these may objectively provide information regarding viable models of care, beyond PCPs' personal preferences.…”