title: General internists' preferences and knowledge about the care of adult survivors of childhood cancer: a cross-sectional survey.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Adult childhood cancer survivors (CCSs) are at high risk for illness and premature death. Little is known about the physicians who provide their routine medical care.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine general internists' self-reported attitudes and knowledge about the care of CCSs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  Mailed survey delivered between September 2011 and August 2012.
  
  
  METHODS
  Random sample of 2000 U.S. general internists.
  
  
  METHODS
  Care preferences, comfort levels with caring for CCSs (7-point Likert scale: 1 = very uncomfortable, 7 = very comfortable), familiarity with available surveillance guidelines (7-point Likert scale: 1 = very unfamiliar, 7 = very familiar), and concordance with Children's Oncology Group Long-Term Follow-Up Guidelines in response to a clinical vignette.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The response rate was 61.6% (1110 of 1801). More than half the internists (51.1%) reported caring for at least 1 CCS; 72.0% of these internists never received a treatment summary. On average, internists were "somewhat uncomfortable" caring for survivors of Hodgkin lymphoma, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and osteosarcoma. Internists reported being "somewhat unfamiliar" with available surveillance guidelines. In response to a clinical vignette about a young adult survivor of Hodgkin lymphoma, 90.6% of respondents did not appropriately recommend yearly breast cancer surveillance, 85.1% did not appropriately recommended cardiac surveillance, and 23.6% did not appropriately recommend yearly thyroid surveillance. Access to surveillance guidelines and treatment summaries were identified as the most useful resources for caring for CCSs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Findings, based on self-report, may not reflect actual clinical practice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although most general internists report involvement in the care of CCSs, many seem unfamiliar with available surveillance guidelines and would prefer to follow patients in collaboration with a cancer center.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  National Cancer Institute.
authors.forename: Eugene
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Suh
authors.forename: Christopher K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Daugherty
authors.forename: Kristen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wroblewski
authors.forename: Hannah
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Mackenzie L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Kigin
authors.forename: Kenneth A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Rasinski
authors.forename: Jennifer S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Ford
authors.forename: Emily S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Tonorezos
authors.forename: Paul C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Nathan
authors.forename: Kevin C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Oeffinger
authors.forename: Tara O
authors.initials: TO
authors.lastname: Henderson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D006801:Humans; D007388:Internal Medicine; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms; D058007:Physicians, Primary Care; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*