New standard of care?

Abstract

Background: Nationally, many cancer survivors do not receive a survivorship care plan following completion of therapy. The American College of Surgeons' Commission of Cancer's Standard 3.3 requirement for accreditation placed this issue front and center for many of the participating cancer programs. The Commission on Cancer (CoC) survey found only one fifth of the cancer programs would be successful by 2015 and thus updated the standard in 2017. We describe a successful process created to deliver on this standard in an NCI designated cancer center to meet the needs of our patients. Methods: In early 2017, a multidisciplinary task force was created to initiate and implement survivorship care plans for newly diagnosed patients. Eligibility for care plans is determined by the CoC and the Moffitt cancer committee. The initiative included a cost-effective solution, 'Journey Forward.' Moffitt Cancer Center was able to incorporate additional specific patient education and surveillance recommendations. A dedicated nursing team creating the care plans individually discussed with patients with the oversight of the Cancer Committee. Results: With collaboration from the cancer registry, nursing leadership and survivorship clinic, the diseases targeted initially were breast, gastrointestinal, genitourinary, head and neck, gynecology, non-small cell lung, thyroid, and lymphoma. Within 5 months of inception of the task force, 25% of survivorship care plans (SCP) were completed and by the end of the 2017 calendar year, we delivered 50% of analytic cases treated, amounting to approximately 2,500. The care plans were housed in the electronic medical record and available for patients via the patient portal. Conclusions: This initiative is made up of a multidisciplinary team from senior leadership, cancer committee members, the cancer registry, the survivorship clinic staff, nursing, social work, health information management, case management, and our information technology colleagues. A shared passion and vision lead the task force's momentum. We all believed this was not just a mandate to comply with but a communication tool that is essential for our patients' wellness long-term. Although there is minimal evidence to show the benefit of SCP with regard to outcomes, our team felt this document can indeed assist cancer patients' transition into the next phase of their journey. Our project has improved the patient experience with positive feedback.