How One Institution Implemented Survivorship Care Plans in the Age of the Electronic Medical Record

More than a decade ago, the National Academy of Medicine (NAM, formerly the Institute of Medicine) first proposed that “all patients should be given a comprehensive summary and a clear explanation of the details of their cancer therapy as well as recommendations for necessary follow-up.”

This seemingly simple task has proved difficult to deliver in many cancer care settings. No superior model of survivorship or survivorship care planning (SCP) has emerged; however, evidence exists that nurse-led programs may be most successful. Research indicates that cancer survivors receiving a SCP have better facilitated follow-up care, including cancer screening and surveillance and management of late and long-term effects, have an overall higher satisfaction with survivorship care and report significantly fewer post-treatment emotional concerns.