Evaluation of a Technology-Based Survivor Care Plan for Breast Cancer Survivors: Pre-Post Pilot Study

Background As of 2016, almost 16 million individuals were cancer survivors, including over 3.5 million survivors of breast cancer. Because cancer survivors are living longer and have unique health care needs, the Institute of Medicine proposed a survivor care plan as a way to alleviate the many medical, emotional, and care coordination problems of survivors. Objective This pilot study for breast cancer survivors was undertaken to: (1) examine self-reported changes in knowledge, confidence, and activation from before receipt to after receipt of a survivor care plan; and (2) describe survivor preferences for, and satisfaction with, a technology-based survivor care plan. Methods A single group pretest-posttest design was used to study breast cancer survivors in an academic cancer center and a community cancer center during their medical visit after they completed chemotherapy. The intervention was a technology-based survivor care plan. Measures were taken before, immediately after, and 1 month after receipt of the survivor care plan. Results A total of 38 breast cancer survivors agreed to participate in the study. Compared to baseline levels before receipt of the survivor care plan, participants reported increased knowledge both immediately after its receipt at the academic center (P<.001) and the community center (P<.001) as well as one month later at the academic center (P=.002) and the community center (P<.001). Participants also reported increased confidence immediately following receipt of the survivor care plan at the academic center (P=.63) and the community center (P=.003) and one month later at both the academic center (P=.63) and the community center (P<.001). Activation was increased from baseline to post-survivor care plan at both the academic center (P=.05) and community center (P<.001) as well as from baseline to 1-month follow-up at the academic center (P=.56) and the community center (P<.001). Overall, community center participants had lower knowledge, confidence, and activation at baseline compared with academic center participants. Overall, 22/38 (58%) participants chose the fully functional electronic survivor care plan. However, 12/23 (52%) in the community center group chose the paper version compared to 4/15 (27%) in the academic center group. Satisfaction with the format (38/38 participants) and the content (37/38 participants) of the survivor care plan was high for both groups. Conclusions This study provides evidence that knowledge, confidence, and activation of survivors were associated with implementation of the survivor care plan. This research agrees with previous research showing that cancer survivors found the technology-based survivor care plan to be acceptable. More research is needed to determine the optimal approach to survivor care planning to ensure that all cancer survivors can benefit from it.

Evaluation of a Technology-Based Survivor Care Plan for Breast Cancer Survivors: Pre-Post Pilot Study (Preprint)

BACKGROUND As of 2016, almost 16 million individuals were cancer survivors, including over 3.5 million survivors of breast cancer. Because cancer survivors are living longer and have unique health care needs, the Institute of Medicine proposed a survivor care plan as a way to alleviate the many medical, emotional, and care coordination problems of survivors. OBJECTIVE This pilot study for breast cancer survivors was undertaken to: (1) examine self-reported changes in knowledge, confidence, and activation from before receipt to after receipt of a survivor care plan; and (2) describe survivor preferences for, and satisfaction with, a technology-based survivor care plan. METHODS A single group pretest-posttest design was used to study breast cancer survivors in an academic cancer center and a community cancer center during their medical visit after they completed chemotherapy. The intervention was a technology-based survivor care plan. Measures were taken before, immediately after, and 1 month after receipt of the survivor care plan. RESULTS A total of 38 breast cancer survivors agreed to participate in the study. Compared to baseline levels before receipt of the survivor care plan, participants reported increased knowledge both immediately after its receipt at the academic center (<italic>P</italic>&lt;.001) and the community center (<italic>P</italic>&lt;.001) as well as one month later at the academic center (<italic>P</italic>=.002) and the community center (<italic>P</italic>&lt;.001). Participants also reported increased confidence immediately following receipt of the survivor care plan at the academic center (<italic>P</italic>=.63) and the community center (<italic>P</italic>=.003) and one month later at both the academic center (<italic>P</italic>=.63) and the community center (<italic>P</italic>&lt;.001). Activation was increased from baseline to post-survivor care plan at both the academic center (<italic>P</italic>=.05) and community center (<italic>P</italic>&lt;.001) as well as from baseline to 1-month follow-up at the academic center (<italic>P</italic>=.56) and the community center (<italic>P</italic>&lt;.001). Overall, community center participants had lower knowledge, confidence, and activation at baseline compared with academic center participants. Overall, 22/38 (58%) participants chose the fully functional electronic survivor care plan. However, 12/23 (52%) in the community center group chose the paper version compared to 4/15 (27%) in the academic center group. Satisfaction with the format (38/38 participants) and the content (37/38 participants) of the survivor care plan was high for both groups. CONCLUSIONS This study provides evidence that knowledge, confidence, and activation of survivors were associated with implementation of the survivor care plan. This research agrees with previous research showing that cancer survivors found the technology-based survivor care plan to be acceptable. More research is needed to determine the optimal approach to survivor care planning to ensure that all cancer survivors can benefit from it.

Survivorship care plans: Strategies to enhance patient utility and value.

75 Background: A decade ago the Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommended that every survivor receive a survivor care plan (SCP), yet despite endorsements of clinical merit, evidence of their effectiveness is inconsistent, and patient satisfaction with, use of, and perceived utility of SCP’s remains unclear. Methods: This ongoing multicenter pilot enrolls breast cancer (BC) patients who have recently completed active treatment. Patients complete an electronic patient reported outcomes (ePRO) survey via the Carevive Care Planning System (CPS), which is combined with clinical data to electronically generate tailored care plans with survivorship and symptom-specific recommendations (i.e. follow-up care, self-management, supportive care referrals) in real-time. Patients receive their care plan at a consultative survivorship visit. Approximately 6-weeks following SCP receipt, patients complete a survey to evaluate satisfaction Results: Over 200 patients have received SCPs to date; 101 have completed follow-up surveys. Patients are on average 59 years old (Range: (33-84 yo), female (100%), and with 0-III stage BC. Study outcomes include patient-reported use and helpfulness of, as well as satisfaction (1-5 Likert scale items) with, their SCP. On average, patients were “very satisfied” with their SCP overall (M = 4.08), and 90% (n=90) would, “recommend other women receive a similar care plan after cancer treatment”. In addition to majority of patients (99%) having read or planning to read the SCP carefully, the three most frequently cited ways for use/planned use of the SCP include to: inform about symptoms (90%); speak with healthcare professionals about concerns (88%); and help identify information online (86%). Seventy-two (78%) patients and 68 (74%) reported that SCP’s were most useful to helping them make changes in what they ate and types of exercises, respectively. Conversely, 51 (58%) of patients and 47 (59%) of patients reported that the SCP was most useful to helping them find support resources and talking about personal cancer experience with family members. When asked to recall what recommendations their SCPs endorsed, patients most commonly recalled surveillance recommendations (e.g. follow up visits (83%), mammograms (80%), compared to recommendations specific to reported concerns and symptoms (e.g, management of sexual concerns (31%), evaluation and management of lymphedema (27%)). Conclusions: n/a