title: Quality of Posttreatment Care Among Breast Cancer Survivors in the University of California Athena Breast Health Network (Athena).
abstract: Multiple oncology providers are involved in the initial breast cancer treatment. To better understand the patterns and quality of posttreatment breast cancer care, we surveyed patients who had been treated at each of the 5 University of California (UC) cancer centers.
  
  
  
  We identified breast cancer patients diagnosed in 2008-2009 from hospital tumor registries; invitations for the mailed survey on posttreatment care were sent between September 2011 and November 2012. The survey requested information on the number and type of provider visits, discussion of key topics, use of treatment summaries, and survivorship care plans (SCP).
  
  
  
  A total of 329 patients completed the survey. The mean age of respondents was 60.5 years, and they were 3.2 years since diagnosis (range, 1.6-4.8 years). A total of 82% had continued posttreatment care at a UC facility, and they reported high numbers of clinical follow-up visits, with an average of > 2 providers (range, 1-5). Surgery-only patients reported an average of 4 to 5 office visits a year; patients who received surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy reported 5 to 6 office visits a year. Overall, 45% of women reported receiving a treatment summary; receipt of a SCP was reported by 59%, occurring significantly more often among those in follow-up at a UC (P = .004).
  
  
  
  Patients reported visits to multiple providers during their follow-up care, in excess of what is recommended by current guidelines. This was in spite of many women reporting that they had received a SCP.
authors.affiliation: Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Los Angeles, CA. Electronic address: pganz@mednet.ucla.edu.
authors.forename: Patricia A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Ganz
authors.affiliation: Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Los Angeles, CA.
authors.forename: Erin E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Hahn
authors.affiliation: Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Los Angeles, CA.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Petersen
authors.affiliation: Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA.
authors.forename: Michelle E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Melisko
authors.affiliation: Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, CA.
authors.forename: John P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Pierce
authors.affiliation: UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Davis, CA.
authors.forename: Marlene
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Von Friederichs-Fitzwater
authors.affiliation: Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Irvine, CA.
authors.forename: Karen T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Lane
authors.affiliation: Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA.
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Hiatt
mesh_terms: D000046:Academic Medical Centers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D002140:California; D019058:Community Networks / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009819:Office Visits / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010347:Patient Care Planning / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D058996:Quality Improvement; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
keywords: Breast cancer survivors; Follow-up care; Quality of care; Survivorship care plan; Treatment summary