scholarly journals The experiences of cancer survivors while transitioning from tertiary to primary care

2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (6) ◽  
pp. 378 ◽  
Author(s):  
B.B. Franco ◽  
L. Dharmakulaseelan ◽  
A. McAndrew ◽  
S. Bae ◽  
M.C. Cheung ◽  
...  

Purpose In current fiscally constrained health care systems, the transition of cancer survivors to primary care from tertiary care settings is becoming more common and necessary. The purpose of our study was to explore the experiences of survivors who are transitioning from tertiary to primary care.Methods One focus group and ten individual telephone interviews were conducted. Data saturation was reached with 13 participants. All sessions were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using a qualitative descriptive approach.Results Eight categories relating to the main content category of transition readiness were identified in the analysis. Several factors affected participant transition readiness: how the transition was introduced, perceived continuity of care, support from health care providers, clarity of the timeline throughout the transition, and desire for a “roadmap.” Although all participants spoke about the effect of their relationships with health care providers (tertiary, transition, and primary care), their relationship with the primary care provider had the most influence on their transition readiness.Conclusions Our study provided insights into survivor experiences during the transition to primary care. Transition readiness of survivors is affected by many factors, with their relationship with the primary care provider being particularly influential. Understanding transition readiness from the survivor perspective could prove useful in ensuring patient-centred care as transitions from tertiary to primary care become commonplace.

Author(s):  
Diane Mastnardo, BS, LMT ◽  
Jeanmarie C. Rose, MPA ◽  
Jacqueline Dolata, MBA ◽  
James J. Werner, PhD, MSSA

Background: Communication between massage therapy patients and their medical providers has not been widely described, especially with respect to health care in the United States. Purpose: To examine which type of medical providers recommend massage therapy (MT), and how often massage therapy patients tell their providers about their treatment. Setting: Independent massage therapy practices in a Practice-based Research Network (PBRN) in Northeast Ohio.Participants: 21 licensed massage therapists (LMT). Research Design: A cross-sectional descriptive study. For consecutive, nonrepeating visits to their practices, each LMT completed up to 20 cards with information on the patient and visit. Analysis compared visits for patients based on whether they reported telling their health provider about their use of MT or being recommended for massage by a health provider.Results: Among 403 visits to 21 LMTs, 51% of patients had told their primary care clinician about seeing an LMT, and for 23%, a health-care provider had recommended visiting an LMT for that visit. Patients who told their primary care provider that they use massage therapy were more likely to be established patients, or to be seen for chronic pain complaints. Visits recommended by a physi-cian were more likely to be for chronic conditions.Conclusion: Patients who are established in the massage practice and those receiving massage for a specific condition are more likely to tell their primary care provider that they use massage and are also more likely to have been recommended for massage by a health-care provider. This information will help LMTs target and inform patients about the importance of talking with their health-care providers about their use of massage, and provide LMTs with a starting point of which types of health-care providers already recommend massage. This information will further open the dialogue about the integration of massage therapy in conventional health care. 


2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (5_suppl) ◽  
pp. 21-21
Author(s):  
Jennifer Nadine Slim ◽  
Michelle Marie Loch

21 Background: Cancer survivors face many challenges and encompass a multitude of specialties. These patients frequently utilize emergency room services with increased admission rates and, often, significant consequences on health care costs. National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey data from 2011 reports non-ischemic heart disease, chest pain and pneumonia as the most common emergency room discharge diagnoses for adults. We hypothesized that cancer survivors who continue care with primary providers require fewer emergency room based admissions. Our purpose in identifying these demographics was to allow for further consideration of specific interventions that might improve out patient based management. Methods: We considered ongoing primary care as those assigned to a primary care provider. We developed a memorandum of intention to identify patients at risk for over utilization of emergency room services. We gathered anonymous data about oncology patients seen in clinic from July 2014 to August 2015. We were able to determine how many emergency room based admissions were attributed to these patients as well as patients with and without primary care providers assigned in the EMR. We further attempted to identify those at higher risk taking into account co-morbid diagnoses. Results: 2,627 survivors were seen in clinic with 163 emergency room based admissions. 75% of these patients did not have a primary care provider identified in EPIC and account for 51% of the admissions. Only two patients had 3 or fewer co-morbid diagnoses. The most common co-morbid diagnoses among patients with emergency room based admission were abdominal pain, anemia, and chest pain. Conclusions: This data would suggest that co-management with primary care providers alone is not adequate for cancer survivors. While about half of the admissions were those without assigned primary care; the overall percentage of admission was higher from those assigned primary care providers. We suggest risk factors and management strategies are unique to survivors and require a focused multidisciplinary approach. Further study focused on interventions unique to cancer survivors are warranted.


2021 ◽  
pp. 097370302110470
Author(s):  
Charu C. Garg ◽  
Pratheeba John ◽  
Tushar Mokashi

Improving investments in primary health care has become a mounting priority in the context of Universal Health Coverage and India’s National Health Policy 2017 goal to provide cost-effective care. The paper uses the India National Health Accounts, health care providers and health care functions classifications, to allocate current health expenditures (CHE) to primary, secondary and tertiary (PST) care and analyse the trends and composition of PST expenditures between 2013–2014 and 2016–2017. Findings reveal that 45.2% of CHE was spent on primary care in 2016–2017. The government spends 52% of its CHE for primary care. Private spending on primary care has declined from 44% to 41% during the study period. Disaggregate analysis shows that 41% of primary care expenditures were on medicines, 29% on curative care and 15% on preventive care services. About 32% of primary care expenditures were spent at government facilities/providers as compared to 10% at private facilities/doctors. Private sector share of secondary care (38%) and tertiary care (75%) reinforces the role of private sector in providing secondary and tertiary care services. In cognisance of national and international goals, an additional investment of 0.7% of gross domestic product or additional US$11 (₹754) per capita would be required in primary care.


2006 ◽  
Vol 24 (32) ◽  
pp. 5105-5111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia A. Ganz

Cancer survivors frequently visit their primary-care physicians, as well as oncology specialists, for follow-up care. There is a need to monitor these survivors for the late physical effects of cancer, yet few health care providers have received training in how to do this. This article provides guidance on how to take a cancer survivor-directed medical history to facilitate the elicitation of relevant exposures, family history, and symptoms that may be related to the late effects of cancer therapy.


Author(s):  
Susan Njuguna ◽  
Wanja Mwaura Tenambergen ◽  
Job Mapesa

Background: The role of health care providers in the implementation of responsiveness of health systems is unclear. Responsiveness of health systems is one of the goals set out by WHO in 2000. Effective leadership and governance of health systems incorporates all players involved in policy implementation. The objectives of the study were to establish how the health care provider’s awareness of patients’ rights charter influence health systems responsiveness and to establish how the health care provider practice of patients’ rights charter influence responsiveness of health systems in primary care settings.Methods: This was an exploratory cross section descriptive study design that used a psychometric semi- structured questionnaire to collect qualitative data that was analyzed quantitatively. Respondents were 62 purposively sampled health care providers from four, primary care health facilities. Key informant interviews from the four health facilities in-charges were carried out. Data was analyzed using SPSS vs 25 and themes.Results: Health care provider awareness of the content of patients’ rights charter (r=0.612*, p<0.001) and practice of patient’s right charter (r=0.610*, p<0.001) were statistically significant and influenced health systems responsiveness.Conclusions: Implementation of patients’ rights charter has an influence on responsiveness of health systems. Leadership and Governance of health systems requires a structured approach to implementation of policies that positively influence responsiveness of health systems. Supervision of health care providers for best practice can provide a basis for replication in other primary care facilities and lead to achieving responsiveness of health systems.


2006 ◽  
Vol 67 (S1) ◽  
pp. S14-S29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paula Brauer ◽  
Linda Dietrich ◽  
Bridget Davidson ◽  

Purpose: A modified Delphi process was used to identify key features of interdisciplinary nutrition services, including provider roles and responsibilities for Ontario Family Health Networks (FHNs), a family physician-based type of primary care. Methods: Twenty-three representatives from interested professional organizations, including three FHN demonstration sites, completed a modified Delphi process. Participants reviewed evidence from a systematic literature review, a patient survey, a costing analysis, and key informant interview results before undertaking the Delphi process. Statements describing various options for services were developed at an in-person meeting, which was followed by two rounds of e-mail questionnaires. Teleconference discussions were held between rounds. Results: An interdisciplinary model with differing and complementary roles for health care providers emerged from the process. Additional key features addressing screening for nutrition problems, health promotion and disease prevention, team collaboration, planning and evaluation, administrative support, access to care, and medical directives/delegated acts were identified. Under the proposed model, the registered dietitian is the team member responsible for managing all aspects of nutrition services, from needs assessment to program delivery, as well as for supporting all providers’ nutrition services. Conclusions: The proposed interdisciplinary nutrition services model merits evaluation of cost, effectiveness, applicability, and sustainability in team-based primary care service settings.


2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. e1846844
Author(s):  
Anwen Zhang ◽  
Zlatko Nikoloski ◽  
Sarah Averi Albala ◽  
Winnie Yip ◽  
Jin Xu ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 215013272110002
Author(s):  
Tarika Srinivasan ◽  
Erica J. Sutton ◽  
Annika T. Beck ◽  
Idali Cuellar ◽  
Valentina Hernandez ◽  
...  

Introduction: Minority communities have had limited access to advances in genomic medicine. Mayo Clinic and Mountain Park Health Center, a Federally Qualified Health Center in Phoenix, Arizona, partnered to assess the feasibility of offering genomic screening to Latino patients receiving care at a community-based health center. We examined primary care provider (PCP) experiences reporting genomic screening results and integrating those results into patient care. Methods: We conducted open-ended, semi-structured interviews with PCPs and other members of the health care team charged with supporting patients who received positive genomic screening results. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed thematically. Results: Of the 500 patients who pursued genomic screening, 10 received results indicating a genetic variant that warranted clinical management. PCPs felt genomic screening was valuable to patients and their families, and that genomic research should strive to include underrepresented minorities. Providers identified multiple challenges integrating genomic sequencing into patient care, including difficulties maintaining patient contact over time; arranging follow-up medical care; and managing results in an environment with limited genetics expertise. Providers also reflected on the ethics of offering genomic sequencing to patients who may not be able to pursue diagnostic testing or follow-up care due to financial constraints. Conclusions: Our results highlight the potential benefits and challenges of bringing advances in precision medicine to community-based health centers serving under-resourced populations. By proactively considering patient support needs, and identifying financial assistance programs and patient-referral mechanisms to support patients who may need specialized medical care, PCPs and other health care providers can help to ensure that precision medicine lives up to its full potential as a tool for improving patient care.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 237437352110340
Author(s):  
Shirley Chien-Chieh Huang ◽  
Alden Morgan ◽  
Vanessa Peck ◽  
Lara Khoury

There has been little published literature examining the unique communication challenges older adults pose for health care providers. Using an explanatory mixed-methods design, this study explored patients’ and their family/caregivers’ experiences communicating with health care providers on a Canadian tertiary care, inpatient Geriatric unit between March and September 2018. In part 1, the modified patient–health care provider communication scale was used and responses scored using a 5-point scale. In part 2, one-on-one telephone interviews were conducted and responses transcribed, coded, and thematically analyzed. Thirteen patients and 7 family/caregivers completed part 1. Both groups scored items pertaining to adequacy of information sharing and involvement in decision-making in the lowest 25th percentile. Two patients and 4 family/caregivers participated in telephone interviews in part 2. Interview transcript analysis resulted in key themes that fit into the “How, When, and What” framework outlining the aspects of communication most important to the participants. Patients and family/caregivers identified strategic use of written information and predischarge family meetings as potentially valuable tools to improve communication and shared decision-making.


2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (6) ◽  
pp. 989-993
Author(s):  
Andrew Thomas ◽  
Annie Thomas

Acute and chronic digestive diseases are causing increased burden to patients and are increasing the United States health care spending. The purpose of this case report was to present how nonconfirmatory and conflicting diagnoses led to increased burden and suffering for a patient thus affecting quality of life. There were many physician visits and multiple tests performed on the patient. However, the primary care physician and specialists could not reach a confirmatory diagnosis. The treatment plans did not offer relief of symptoms, and the patient continues to experience digestive symptoms, enduring this burden for over 2 years. The central theme of this paper is to inform health care providers the importance of utilizing evidence-based primary care specialist collaboration models for better digestive disease outcomes. Consistent with patient’s experience, the authors propose to pilot/adopt the integrative health care approaches that are proven effective for treating digestive diseases.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document