Poster Presentation Cancer Survivorship 2017

Development of a Survivorship Care Plan and Treatment Summary for Lymphoma Survivors. (#83)

Karen M Taylor 1 2 , David Joske 3 4 , David Oldham 3 , Leanne Monterosso 1 5 6
  1. School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Notre Dame Australia, Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia
  2. Western Australia Cancer and Palliative Care Network, Nedlands, WA, Australia
  3. Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Nedlands, WA, Australia
  4. University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
  5. Centre for Nursing & Midwifery Research, St John of God Hospital, Murdoch, Western Australia, Australia
  6. School of Nursing and Midwifery, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia

Aims: To feedback on the innovative development of a lymphoma SCPTS that provides written information to survivors and health care providers with clear delineation of future care responsibility. Lymphoma is a commonly diagnosed cancer that requires complex and aggressive treatment regimens. Given the absence of follow-up guidelines and an increased risk of bio-psycho-social impacts from disease and treatment, there is potential for poorer overall health outcomes. Survivorship care plans and treatment summaries (SCPTS) are recommended to facilitate individualised and holistic survivorship follow-up to patients and health care providers. They communicate: diagnosis and treatment-specific information; potential late effects; and health promotion.

Methods: A comprehensive integrative review of literature and current SCPTS was undertaken. No suitable lymphoma-specific SCPTS were found. A lymphoma SCPTS was therefore developed to provide: a concise diagnosis/treatment summary; tailored late effects information; general healthy lifestyle behaviour and screening information. The SCPTS also encourages survivors to generate their key health issues, health goals and the actions they will take to achieve goals.

Results: Lymphoma survivors (n=6) and clinicians (including GPs) (n=6) perspectives were sought to determine relevance of proposed SCPTS items. Items were assessed for content clarity, apparent internal consistency and content validity. Content validity index (CVI) scores were generated for each item. Overall, mean CVI results for included items were: clarity 0.985; apparent internal consistency 0.975; content validity 0.895. Low scoring items were removed. Feedback indicated GPs valued a short and concise treatment summary.

Conclusions: Nurses have established expertise in health promotion, information, support and resource provision, and therefore can develop and disseminate innovative SCPTS to facilitate communication between the survivor, specialist and primary care. Providing tailored SCPTS may empower survivors to assume responsibility for future surveillance and disease management, thereby facilitating engagement in a future healthy lifestyle.