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- Title
Cancer survivors' perspectives on delivery of survivorship care by primary care physicians: an internet-based survey.
- Authors
Nyarko, Ernestina; Metz, James M.; Nguyen, Giang T.; Hampshire, Margaret K.; Jacobs, Linda A.; Mao, Jun J.
- Abstract
Background: Helping cancer survivors to transition from active treatment to long-term survivorship requires coordinated efforts by both oncologists and primary care physicians (PCPs). This study aims to evaluate cancer survivors' perspectives on PCP-delivered survivorship care. Methods: We conducted an Internet-based cross-sectional survey of cancer survivors via www.OncoLink.org. Regression analyses were used to identify factors associated with perception of PCP-delivered survivorship care. Results: The 352 respondents rated overall PCP-delivered survivorship care as 60 out of 100 (SD = 23). The areas of care most strongly endorsed were general care (62 %), psychosocial support (65 %), and holistic care (68 %). Survivors were less likely to perceive their PCPs as knowledgeable about cancer follow-up (43 %), late or long-term effects of cancer therapy (45 %), and diagnosis and treatment of symptoms related to cancer or cancer therapy (42 %). While 72 % of survivors reported satisfaction with their PCP's care overall, only 41 % felt that their PCPs and oncologists communicated well with one another. In a multivariate regression analysis, higher trust in PCP (p < 0.001), non-white race (p = 0.001), living in the United States (p = 0.007), and visiting a PCP two or more times per year (p = 0.009) were significantly associated with higher ratings of PCP-delivered survivorship care. p Conclusions: While cancer survivors in general are satisfied with care delivery by PCPs, they perceived that their PCPs have limited abilities in performing cancer-specific follow-up and late effect monitoring and treatment. Better education of family physicians about survivorship issues and improved communication between PCPs and oncologists are needed to improve PCPs' delivery of survivorship care.
- Subjects
UNITED States; CANCER patients; CHI-squared test; HOLISTIC medicine; MEDICAL care; MULTIVARIATE analysis; PATIENT satisfaction; PRIMARY health care; PROFESSIONS; QUESTIONNAIRES; REGRESSION analysis; TRUST; WORLD Wide Web; SOCIAL support; CROSS-sectional method; DATA analysis software; PATIENTS' attitudes; DESCRIPTIVE statistics
- Publication
BMC Family Practice, 2015, Vol 16, p1
- ISSN
1471-2296
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1186/s12875-015-0367-x