Oncologist and primary care physician attitudes and practices toward cancer survivor follow-up care in an integrated health system.

2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (3_suppl) ◽  
pp. 105-105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bijal A. Balasubramanian ◽  
Katelyn K Jetelina ◽  
Simon Craddock Lee
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Cancer Survivors ◽  
Health System ◽  
Care Physician ◽  
Cancer Surveillance ◽  
Attitudes And Practices ◽  
Follow Up Care ◽  
Integrated Health ◽  
Communication And Coordination

105 Background: Previous research using nationally representative data showed significant differences between primary care physician (PCP) and oncologists’ attitudes and practices with respect to care of cancer survivors and called for more effective communication and coordination to improve care. This study compared PCP and oncologists’ attitudes and practices for follow-up cancer care within an integrated health system sharing a common electronic health record and clinical infrastructure to examine whether the integrated setting facilitated communication and coordination between PCPs and oncologists. Methods: 41 PCPs and 24 oncologists (response rate = 52%) affiliated with an integrated safety-net health system completed a validated survey. The survey assessed PCP and oncologists’ preferred models for delivering care, attitudes towards follow-up care, and cancer surveillance practices in this setting. Results: 41% of PCPs preferred an oncologist-led care delivery model as compared to 21% of oncologists. More PCPs than oncologists (73% vs 58%) agreed that PCPs have the skills necessary to initiate cancer surveillance. Yet, PCPs more often disagreed (56% vs 42% of oncologists) that they should have primary responsibility for providing cancer follow-up care. PCPs and oncologists differed significantly over cancer surveillance practices. Oncologists more consistently reported that PCPs ordered tests for cancer surveillance, evaluated patients for cancer recurrence and for adverse physical and psychological effects of cancer or its treatment, as well as managed pain and adverse outcomes of cancer treatment. PCPs, however, did not report equivalent ordering for these services. Conclusions: Even within an integrated health system, we found significant uncertainty as to who is responsible for care of cancer survivors. Oncologists more commonly assigned responsibility for cancer survivorship care to PCPs than PCPs recognized. This imbalance indicates many cancer survivors may not be receiving recommended care. Consensus guidelines are needed to delineate shared responsibilities for cancer survivors between primary care and oncology specialty care physicians.

scholarly journals Treatment and Follow-up Care Associated With Patient-Scheduled Primary Care Telemedicine and In-Person Visits in a Large Integrated Health System

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (11) ◽  
pp. e2132793
Author(s):  
Mary Reed ◽  
Jie Huang ◽  
Ilana Graetz ◽  
Emilie Muelly ◽  
Andrea Millman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Health System ◽  
Follow Up Care ◽  
Integrated Health

scholarly journals Factors Associated with Meeting the Psychosocial Needs of Cancer Survivors in Nova Scotia, Canada

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-25
Author(s):  
Soleil Chahine ◽  
Gordon Walsh ◽  
Robin Urquhart
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Nova Scotia ◽  
Cancer Survivors ◽  
Sociodemographic Factors ◽  
Patient Navigator ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Psychosocial Needs ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Follow Up Care

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to describe the psychosocial needs of cancer survivors and examine whether sociodemographic factors and health care providers accessed are associated with needs being met. Methods: All Nova Scotia survivors meeting specific inclusion and exclusion criteria are identified from the Nova Scotia Cancer Registry and sent an 83-item survey to assess psychosocial concerns and whether and how their needs were met. Descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages) and Chi-square analyses are used to examine associations between sociodemographic and provider factors and outcomes. Results: Anxiety and fear of recurrence, depression, and changes in sexual intimacy are major areas of concern for survivors. Various sociodemographic factors, such as immigration status, education, employment, and internet use, are associated with reported psychosocial health and having one’s needs met. Having both a specialist and primary care provider in charge of follow-up care is associated with a significantly (p < 0.05) higher degree of psychosocial and informational needs met compared to only one physician or no follow-up physician in charge. Accessing a patient navigator also is significantly associated with a higher degree of needs met. Conclusions: Our study identifies the most prevalent psychosocial needs of cancer survivors and the factors associated with having a higher degree of needs met, including certain sociodemographic factors, follow-up care by both a primary care practitioner and specialist, and accessing a patient navigator.

Primary Care Physicians' Views of Routine Follow-Up Care of Cancer Survivors

2009 ◽  
Vol 27 (20) ◽  
pp. 3338-3345 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Elisabeth Del Giudice ◽  
Eva Grunfeld ◽  
Bart J. Harvey ◽  
Eugenia Piliotis ◽  
Sunil Verma
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Cancer Survivors ◽  
Primary Care Physicians ◽  
Mail Survey ◽  
Patient Specific ◽  
Urban Centers ◽  
Optimal Care ◽  
Adult Cancer Survivors ◽  
Follow Up Care

Purpose Routine follow-up of adult cancer survivors is an important clinical and health service issue. Because of a lack of evidence supporting advantages of long-term follow-up care in oncology clinics, there is increasing interest for the locus of this care to be provided by primary care physicians (PCPs). However, current Canadian PCP views on this issue have been largely unknown. Methods A mail survey of a random sample of PCPs across Canada, stratified by region and proximity to urban centers, was conducted. Views on routine follow-up of adult cancer survivors and modalities to facilitate PCPs in providing this care were determined. Results A total of 330 PCPs responded (adjusted response rate, 51.7%). After completion of active treatment, PCPs were willing to assume exclusive responsibility for routine follow-up care after 2.4 ± 2.3 years had elapsed for prostate cancer, 2.6 ± 2.6 years for colorectal cancer, 2.8 ± 2.5 years for breast cancer, and 3.2 ± 2.7 years for lymphoma. PCPs already providing this care were willing to provide exclusive care sooner. The most useful modalities PCPs felt would assist them in assuming exclusive responsibility for follow-up cancer care were (1) a patient-specific letter from the specialist, (2) printed guidelines, (3) expedited routes of rereferral, and (4) expedited access to investigations for suspected recurrence. Conclusion With appropriate information and support in place, PCPs reported being willing to assume exclusive responsibility for the follow-up care of adult cancer survivors. Insights gained from this survey may ultimately help guide strategies in providing optimal care to these patients.

Guideline-concordant surveillance and follow-up care among low-income patients with breast cancer: The role of primary care medical homes.

2012 ◽  
Vol 30 (34_suppl) ◽  
pp. 171-171
Author(s):  
Stephanie B. Wheeler ◽  
Racquel Elizabeth Kohler ◽  
Ravi K. Goyal ◽  
Kristen Hassmiller Lich ◽  
Alexis Moore ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Primary Care ◽  
Cancer Survivors ◽  
Cancer Survivorship ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Breast Cancer Survivors ◽  
Breast Cancer Survivorship ◽  
Medical Homes ◽  
Follow Up Care

171 Background: Community Care of North Carolina (CCNC) initiated an innovative medical home (MH) program in the 1990s to improve primary care in Medicaid-insured populations. CCNC has been successful in improving asthma, diabetes, and cardiovascular outcomes, but has not been evaluated in the context of cancer care. We sought to determine whether MH enrollment was associated with guideline-concordant surveillance and follow-up care among breast cancer survivors. Methods: Using state cancer registry records matched to Medicaid claims, we identified women ages 18-64 diagnosed with stage 0, I, or II breast cancer from 2003-2007 and tracked their CCNC enrollment. Using published American Society for Clinical Oncology breast cancer survivorship guidelines to define our outcomes, we employed multivariate logistic regressions to examine correlates of receipt of surveillance mammogram and at least two physical exams within 15 months post-diagnosis. Results: In total, 840 women were included in our sample. Approximately half were enrolled in a CCNC MH during the study period, 38% were enrolled for more than 7 months post-diagnosis. Enrollment in a MH for at least 7 months post-diagnosis was strongly associated with receiving guideline-recommended surveillance mammogram (p<0.01) and at least 2 physical exams (p<0.01) within 15 months post-diagnosis. Conclusions: Results suggest that MH enrollment is associated with higher quality breast cancer survivorship care among women insured by Medicaid. Given the growing population of cancer survivors and increased emphasis on primary care MH, more research is needed to explore how medical homes can enhance and ensure the provision of guideline-recommended care during cancer survivorship.

scholarly journals The Use of Telemedicine Access to Schools to Facilitate Expert Assessment of Children with Asthma

2008 ◽  
Vol 2008 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
David A. Bergman ◽  
Paul J. Sharek ◽  
Kathryn Ekegren ◽  
Shannon Thyne ◽  
Michelle Mayer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Care Physician ◽  
Expert Assessment ◽  
Asthma Care ◽  
School Based ◽  
Follow Up Care ◽  
Children With Asthma ◽  
Asthma Outcomes ◽  
Improve Access

Research has shown that access to an asthma specialist improves asthma outcomes. We hypothesized that we could improve access to expert asthma care through a telemedicine link between an asthma specialist and a school-based asthma program. We conducted a prospective cohort study in 3 urban schools to ascertain the feasibility of using an asthma-focused telemedicine solution. Each subject was seen by an asthma expert at 0, 8, and 32 weeks. The assessment and recommendations for care were sent to the primary care physician (PCP) and parents were told to contact their physician for follow-up care. Eighty three subjects participated in the study. Subjects experienced improvement (P<.05) in family social activities and the number of asthma attacks. Ninety four percent of subjects rated the program as good or excellent. This study demonstrates the feasibility and acceptance of a school-based asthma program using a telemedicine link to an asthma specialist.

scholarly journals Primary care use after cancer treatment: an analysis of linked administrative data

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Urquhart ◽  
L. Lethbridge
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Cancer Survivors ◽  
Negative Binomial ◽  
Census Data ◽  
Gynecologic Cancer ◽  
Negative Binomial Regression ◽  
Cancer Type ◽  
Cancer Centre ◽  
Follow Up Care

Background Primary care–led follow-up is a safe and acceptable alternative to oncologist-led follow-up. We sought to investigate patterns of primary care use during cancer follow-up care. Methods We identified all persons in Nova Scotia, diagnosed with an invasive breast, prostate, colorectal, or gyne­cologic cancer between January 2006 and December 2013. We linked this dataset to cancer centre, hospital discharge abstracts, physicians’ billing, and census data. We identified a survivor cohort (n = 12,201), then descriptively examined primary care use during follow-up care. Multivariate Poisson and negative binomial regression, respectively, were used to examine primary care use for two outcomes: total number of primary care provider (pcp) visits (all reasons) and total number of cancer-specific pcp visits. Results The mean numbers of pcp visits (all reasons) and cancer-specific pcp visits per year for survivors who did not receive cancer centre follow-up (cc-fup) were 8.12 and 0.43 visits, respectively, and for survivors who continued to receive cc-fup were 8.75 and 0.63 visits, respectively. Age, cancer type, stage at diagnosis, comorbidity scores, year of diagnosis, and receipt of cc-fup were associated with both outcomes. Compared with prostate cancer survivors, breast, colorec­tal, and gynecologic cancer survivors had, respectively, 56%, 69%, and 56% fewer expected cancer-specific PCP visits. Receipt of cc-fup increased the expected number of pcp visits (all reasons) by 12% and cancer-specific pcp visits by 50%. Conclusions Primary care use was higher in survivors who continued to visit their oncology teams for follow-up. This suggests that survivors who remain with their oncology teams after treatment continue to have high needs not met by these teams alone.

scholarly journals Minimally Adequate Mental Health Treatment and Mortality in Primary Care Older Adults With Depression and Anxiety

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 864-865
Author(s):  
Helen-Maria Vasiliadis ◽  
Catherine Lamoureux-Lamarche ◽  
Sébastien Grenier ◽  
Pasquale Roberge
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Primary Care ◽  
Health System ◽  
Emergency Department Visits ◽  
Adequate Treatment ◽  
Risk Of Mortality ◽  
Follow Up Care ◽  
System Factors

Abstract Receipt of quality mental health (MH) care can influence mortality. Given the scarce literature on the topic, the aim was to assess the 3-year risk of mortality in older adults (OA) associated with receiving adequate MH treatment for depression/anxiety in an epidemiologic context. The study sample included 358 OA with depression/anxiety recruited in primary care practices and followed prospectively for 3 years. Mortality was assessed from vital statistics data. Adequate care was based on receipt of pharmacotherapy, follow-up care and psychotherapy. Propensity score analysis was carried out where the inverse probability (IPW) of receiving adequate treatment was calculated. Time to event analyses with IPW was used to assess the effect of receipt of adequate MH treatment on the risk of mortality controlling for individual and health system factors. The results showed that receipt of adequate MH treatment reduced the risk of mortality (HR0.44; 95% CI: 0.22 – 0.99). Individual factors that increased mortality were male sex, being single, reduced functional status and cognitive functioning, # physical disorders, current smoking; while exercise reduced risk. Health system factors such as past # of hospitalizations increased the risk; while # of emergency department visits and continuity of care reduced mortality. Finally, treating depression/anxiety with minimal follow-up care and pharmacotherapy or psychotherapy has a significant impact on reducing mortality in OA. Primary care physicians should recognize the important potential impact of years of lives saved when providing quality MH care to OA.

Integrating the primary care physician into cancer follow-up.

2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (3_suppl) ◽  
pp. 102-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew L. Salner ◽  
Deborah Walker ◽  
Amanda Seltzer ◽  
SarahLena Panzer ◽  
Carrie Stricker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Primary Care ◽  
Primary Care Physician ◽  
Care Physician ◽  
Care Plan ◽  
Survivorship Care Plan ◽  
Survivorship Care ◽  
Care Plans ◽  
Follow Up Care

102 Background: After a diagnosis of breast cancer, it can be difficult for patients to understand the role their primary care physician (PCP) should play in their follow up care. Methods: 65 women (mean age 60 years, SD = 10) with breast cancer (stage 0-III) were seen by a nurse practitioner for a 60-90 minute consultative survivorship visit and received a treatment summary and personalized survivorship care plan (SCP) utilizing Carevive Care Planning Systems software. The Carevive system incorporates patient-reported and clinical data to create tailored care plans with personalized recommendations for follow up care and supportive referrals, including direction to follow up with primary care for specific care and health maintenance activities. Approximately 6 weeks following their survivorship care visit, patients completed a survey assessing their use of and satisfaction with the SCP. Patients were advised that the SCP would be mailed to their referring oncologist and primary care physician. Results: Out of 65 sent, 35 surveys have been completed to date. Survivors were diagnosed approximately 10 months prior, and all were within 6 months following completion of treatment. All patients (100%) reported that they read, or planned to read, their survivorship care plan packet carefully. While all care plans included a recommendation to follow up with their PCP, only (71%) of survivors remembered receiving this recommendation. Of those who did, most (74%) had either seen or scheduled an appointment with their PCP. Patients who reported higher anxiety at the time of the survivorship visit were more likely to report that the follow up care plan helped them take action about seeing their PCP (p = .03). Conclusions: Coordination between primary and oncology care providers has previously been shown to improve the quality of care for cancer survivors. SCPs that emphasize the importance of and activities to be undertaken in primary care may help to improve this coordination. Continuation of this research will help to better understand how to integrate the primary care physician into cancer follow up care. Updated data will be shared at time of presentation.

scholarly journals Preventable readmissions and physician notification

2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Daniel Kazzaz
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Health System ◽  
Hospital Readmissions ◽  
National Standards ◽  
Follow Up Care

Preventable hospital readmissions burden our health system with excessive costs. The key to reducing readmissions is appropriate follow-up care for patients upon discharge. Many patients today do not receive necessary follow-up care for the simple reason that their primary care and specialist physicians are not made aware of the hospitalization. A simple and scalable solution is needed to provide automatic notifications to physicians when their patients are admitted to and discharged from hospitals. Such systems, based on national standards for universal adoption, are emerging in several forms, making headway in reducing preventable hospital readmissions. 

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