Journal Article

Thyroid cancer survivors’ perceptions of survivorship care follow-up options: a cross-sectional, mixed-methods survey

Brierley, James D., Bender, Jacqueline L., Alkazaz, Nour, Tsang, Richard, Wiljer, David, Sawka, Anna M.

2016

Overview

Purpose This study investigated thyroid cancer (TC) survivors’ perceived satisfaction with and perceptions of survivorship care follow-up options. Methods Well-differentiated TC (WDTC) patients receiving follow-up care at an academic cancer centre completed a questionnaire assessing perceived satisfaction with follow-up care involving different clinicians and mediated by the Internet (email or videoconference) and their perceptions of these follow-up options. We examined associations between patient characteristics and perceived satisfaction with follow-up care options. Qualitative responses were analysed using conventional content analysis. Results Two hundred and two respondents completed the questionnaire (80 % response rate). The majority strongly agreed or agreed that they would be satisfied with specialist (surgeon, oncologist, or endocrinologist) follow-up (90.6 %) or a shared-care model that integrates specialists with primary care (67.5 %). One third (32 %) would be satisfied with video-based and 26 % with email-based specialist follow-up, 15 % with primary care alone. Longer time since diagnosis and health-related Internet use were associated with higher perceived satisfaction with Internet-based follow-up. Younger age was associated with higher perceived satisfaction with primary care follow-up. Qualitative responses ( n  = 145) revealed that survivors need reassurance they are receiving adequate care, regardless of the model or medium. Enablers to primary care and Internet-based follow-up are discussed. Conclusions WDTC survivors want specialists involved in their follow-up. A specialist/primary care shared-care approach appears to be a suitable alternative to specialist-led follow-up for TC survivors. Internet-based visits could address some aspects of follow-up care for some WDTC survivors. Future work should examine patient and provider requirements for shared, multi-modal survivorship care.

• Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg,Springer,Springer Nature B.V
• Subject: Adult / Age Factors / Canada / Cancer / Content analysis / Delivery of Health Care, Integrated - organization & administration / Distance Counseling - methods / Distance Counseling - organization & administration / Email / Female / Follow-Up Studies / Health services / Humans / Internet / Male / Medical diagnosis / Medicine / Medicine & Public Health / Methods / Middle Aged / Needs Assessment / Nursing / Nursing Research / Oncologists / Oncology / Original Article / Pain Medicine / Patient Preference / Patient satisfaction / Patients / Perceptions / Primary care / Qualitative Research / Quality of care / Questionnaires / Reassurance / Rehabilitation Medicine / Respondents / Responses / Satisfaction / Social Perception / Specialists / Surgeons / Surveys / Surveys and Questionnaires / Survivor / Survivors - psychology / Survivors - statistics & numerical data / Thyroid cancer / Thyroid Neoplasms - psychology / Thyroid Neoplasms - therapy / Video conferencing