The potential of survivorship care plans in primary care follow-up of minority breast cancer patients.
BACKGROUND
When the clinical care of minority breast cancer survivors is transferred from oncology settings to primary care, quality of care may be compromised if their primary care providers do not have adequate cancer treatment records and follow-up care guidelines. Survivorship care plans (SCPs) given to survivors before they transition to primary care settings are designed to improve the transfer of this information. This study examined these issues in a sample of minority breast cancer survivors.


METHODS
During four focus groups with minority breast cancer survivors, data were collected about the types of information survivors remember receiving from their oncologists about follow-up health care needs. Survivors were also asked their opinions on the value and content of a survivorship care plan.


RESULTS
Minority breast cancer survivors received variable amounts of information about their cancer treatments. They were dissatisfied with the amount of information they received on cancer-related side-effects, including race-specific information. The American Society of Clinical Oncology's breast cancer survivorship care plan was viewed as important, but too highly technical and limited in information on side-effects and self-care approaches.


CONCLUSIONS
Survivorship care plans may help increase information transfer from oncologists to patients and primary care providers, but the content of care plans needs to be adapted to minority patients' concerns. Primary care physicians may be challenged by survivors to explain recommended surveillance guidelines and to respond to untreated physical and psychosocial problems.
Department of Community Health & Family Medicine, University of Florida, P.O. Box 100237, Gainesville, FL 32610-0237, USA. burg@ufl.edu
Mary Ann
MA
Burg
Ellen D S
ED
Lopez
Amy
A
Dailey
Mary Elspeth
ME
Keller
Brendan
B
Prendergast
D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups / Q000592:standards; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008913:Minority Groups; D005791:Patient Care / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D010347:Patient Care Planning / Q000592:standards; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D015996:Survival Rate / Q000639:trends