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

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Abstract

Purpose

Cancer survivorship presents many challenges for affected individuals and their health care providers. Reports from The Institute of Medicine document these challenges and recommend the use of survivorship treatment summaries and care plans to improve communication and coordination of care for cancer survivors. The purpose of our study was to assess current use of treatment summaries and care plans in Massachusetts and identify obstacles to greater use.

Methods

A survey was mailed to cancer specialist physicians (CSPs) and primary care physicians (PCPs) in Massachusetts. The survey asked CSPs about their preparation of treatment summaries and care plans for their cancer survivor patients and perceived barriers to the provision of these documents. PCPs were asked about receipt and utility of treatment summaries and care plans and information they would like to see in these reports.

Results

One hundred eight CSPs and 400 PCPs answered the survey. Fifty-six percent of CSPs reported that they, or their staff, prepared treatment summaries for their cancer survivor patients; however, only 14% reported preparing care plans. Fifty-four percent of PCPs reported ever receiving a treatment summary, but only 16% ever received a care plan. CSPs cited lack of training, reimbursement, and templates as barriers to preparing care plans.

Conclusions

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.

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Acknowledgments

Gail Merriam, MSW, MPH Program Director, Massachusetts Comprehensive Cancer Prevention and Control Program is acknowledged in this study. This publication was supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Cooperative Agreement Number 5U58DP000821-02. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of CDC. The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Correspondence to Marianne N. Prout.

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This work has been reviewed and determined to be exempt by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health Institutional Review Board.

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Merport, A., Lemon, S.C., Nyambose, J. et al. The use of cancer treatment summaries and care plans among Massachusetts physicians. Support Care Cancer 20, 1579–1583 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-012-1458-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-012-1458-z

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