In April of 2007, OncoLink launched the OncoLife Survivorship Care Plan, a software to create care plans for individuals who have survived most cancers. As that software reaches the milestone of 100,000 care plans created, OncoLink’s Managing Editor, Carolyn Vachani, explains what a survivorship care plan actually is – and isn’t.
In 2006, The Institute of Medication (IOM) put out a report known as From Most cancers Affected person to Most cancers Survivor: Misplaced in Transition. This report was the primary to actually shine a lightweight on what life after a most cancers prognosis and remedy appears like and the various methods the healthcare system was failing these survivors. One piece of the report that obtained numerous consideration was the advice that each one survivors obtain 2 issues on the completion of remedy: a remedy abstract and a survivorship care plan (SCP). Over time, the excellence between these has turn into blurred. However make no bones about it, these are 2 distinctly completely different paperwork which are vital in their very own manner.
What’s a remedy abstract?
The principle objective of a remedy abstract is so that you can have a report of the most cancers remedies you may have had. It ought to embrace:
- Any surgical procedure for the most cancers.
- Radiation remedy (with location and dose).
- Any medical therapies akin to chemotherapy (together with doses), immune remedy, and hormone remedy.
- Some other most cancers remedies akin to interventional radiology remedy.
- Pathology info and molecular testing outcomes.
- Ideally, the abstract may even embrace any considerations you had throughout remedy akin to reactions, toxicities, or remedy delays.
I consider this doc as “provider-facing” – that means it’s most vital to healthcare suppliers—all of them, not simply these in most cancers care. This contains giving a duplicate of this abstract to your major care supplier. Don’t get me incorrect, it is best to have this doc in your recordsdata to have the ability to present it to any future healthcare suppliers or reference it if questions come up. However you possible need to know extra, and that is the place the SCP is available in to play.
What’s a survivorship care plan?
The IOM had lofty targets for the SCP – and rightfully so! They wished this doc to be your information as you progress from frequent oncology appointments to survivorship and self-advocacy in your healthcare. The SCP ought to present:
- Details about long-term and late results of all of the remedies you bought.
- Plans for observe up care.
- Acceptable screening for different cancers.
- Signs to report back to your supplier.
- Wholesome residing ideas.
- Sources for sensible considerations like fertility, insurance coverage, employment and dealing with life after most cancers.
The SCP is the “patient-facing” doc of this pair. Together with all of this info offers you a useful resource information – one thing you may discuss with over time to get some steering on a present concern. Oncology suppliers already know this info – however our sufferers and their caregivers don’t. That’s what makes a radical SCP so vital. We can not count on our most cancers graduates to advocate for their very own healthcare with out this info.
In lots of circumstances, a survivor’s major care supplier doesn’t know this info both. Who’s in danger for cardiac (coronary heart) points, hypothyroidism or bone well being considerations as a consequence of most cancers remedy shouldn’t be prime of thoughts for a PCP. However an informed affected person can carry that info to them. That is why OncoLife additionally supplies a “Healthcare Supplier Abstract” model of the SCP – it’s meant to be given to your non-oncology suppliers as a reference for future wants.
I hope this remedy abstract and SCP 101 offers you some perception into the significance of SCPs in serving to survivors handle the transition to life after most cancers. I additionally hope it offers you the nudge to get one. If you happen to haven’t obtained an SCP out of your supplier, ask them for one. If they can not present you one, you’ll be able to create one on OncoLink. A remedy abstract is useful, however info, training, and tricks to handle challenges it’s possible you’ll expertise after remedy are important to your well being and well-being.
Carolyn Vachani is an oncology superior apply nurse and the Managing Editor at OncoLink. She has labored in lots of areas of oncology together with BMT, medical analysis, radiation remedy, and employees growth. She serves because the venture chief within the growth and upkeep of the OncoLife Survivorship Care Plan and has a robust curiosity in oncology survivorship care. She enjoys discussing nearly any most cancers subject, in addition to gardening, cooking and, in fact, her sons.
