Introduction:
Survivorship care plans are recommended as standard of care for cancer patients, however implementation can be difficult due to resource constraints. Evidence that care plans improve health outcomes and understanding is limited.
Aim:
To pilot local implementation of the Lung Cancer Care Plan (LCCP), evaluate acceptability to patients and clinicians and assess the impact on patient understanding of diagnosis and treatment.
Method:
Prior to implementation of the LCCP, a study-specific survey was provided to lung cancer patients to determine our patient population’s baseline knowledge/understanding.
The LCCP, a standardised tool, was implemented in July 2019. A dedicated lung cancer nurse completes the LCCP. Eligible patients have a suspected/confirmed new lung cancer diagnosis or a change in treatment |
Patients receiving a LCCP complete the study-specific survey 4-6 weeks post the completion of the LCCP to determine the acceptability and utility of the LCCP.
Lung cancer clinicians will complete evaluation surveys to assess clinician acceptability of the LCCP.
Results:
Twenty pre-implementation surveys were completed. The mean age of respondents was 68 years (range 49-86). 80% were male.
Pre-implementation surveys showed good baseline knowledge, with 90% of respondents reporting they understood the steps to reach a diagnosis and the explanation of their condition. 95% of respondents understood their treatment plan.
To date, fourteen patients have been provided with a LCCP. The LCCP takes 5-10 minutes to complete. Recruitment is expected to be completed by September 2019. The LCCP will continue as routine care during the evaluation phase.
Conclusion:
The LCCP can be implemented into routine care if a clinical nurse specialist is available. Prior to the implementation of the LCCP, patient self-reported understanding of their cancer diagnosis and treatment was high. We aim to assess the impact of the LCCP by comparing surveys completed by the pre-and post-implementation groups.