Comparing Two Modes of Survivorship Care

Although 80% of children with cancer will be cured of their primary disease, at least 70% of survivors will develop chronic medical, neurocognitive, and/or emotional conditions as a complication of their therapy. Most of these conditions are amenable to prevention and early intervention. In response, the Institute of Medicine strongly advised that all cancer patients should receive survivorship care with the following key elements: 1) a summary of previous cancer therapy, 2) individualized life-long screening for potential adverse therapy-related effects, and 3) education regarding desirable health behaviors. However, less than 30% of survivors receive recommended care. There is a tremendous need for research that addresses how to best implement evidence-based recommendations for this population.

Two main health care delivery models have been advocated for survivorship care, but no comparison studies exist. The first model is a specialty survivor clinic, usually at a cancer treatment center. The second model, termed the empowered primary care model, involves patients receiving an individualized "prescription" for follow-up care prepared by a cancer survivor specialist to be implemented by the primary care doctor. Each model poses unique strengths and weaknesses. Specialty survivor clinics can be expensive and geographically inaccessible, can cause anxiety and stress to patients, and can accommodate limited numbers of patients. Primary care doctors may lack adequate expertise and time for these complex patients. Unless we know how these approaches compare with regard to quality of care and risks, advocates and policy makers will be stymied in their efforts to support the health needs of cancer survivors. This study seeks to compare subjects randomized to the empowered primary care model vs. a specialty survivor clinic.