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Supplemental Appendix
Supplemental Appendix. Depth Interview Guide Demographic Questions
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The Article in Brief
Shawna V. Hudson , and colleagues
Background Primary care clinicians have an important role in follow-up care for cancer survivors. This study explores patient preferences about the role of primary care physicians in extended cancer follow-up care.
What This Study Found Many cancer survivors have concerns about seeing their primary care physician for cancer-related follow-up care and prefer receiving follow-up care from their cancer specialists. They describe the following barriers to follow-up care from their primary care physician: (1) lack of cancer expertise, (2) limited or no involvement with original cancer care, and (3) lack of care continuity. In this study, one-third of participants believe there is a role for primary care clinicians in cancer follow-up care, including: (1) performing routine preventive screening tests, (2) supplementing cancer-related specialist care, and (3) providing follow-up medical care when "enough time had passed" or the survivors feel they can reintegrate into the non-cancer population.
Implications
- The authors call for primary care to engage meaningfully in the case management of adult cancer survivors.
- The authors also suggest that specialists educate and discharge their patients with a better understanding of what cancer follow-up care is, its lifelong duration, and the potential for varying degrees of monitoring, as well as the role of the primary care physician.