Using Technology to Advance Cancer Survivorship Programs

O ver 12 million people in the United States are surviving after being diagnosed with cancer; this number is expected to rise as baby boomers age and emerging targeted therapies create less toxicity (Ganz, 2009). Yet in a 2012 survey, only 55% of primary care providers (PCPs) were comfortable being the sole provider for cancer patients 2 years after the completion of their therapy 2012). Another survey that year stated that 84% of PCPs were unsure about the type, frequency, and duration of surveillance testing required for breast and colon cancer patients, and almost 50% were not comfortable monitoring for late complications of cancer and its treatment (Salz et al., 2012). The cancer survivor's transition from being cared for by an oncolo-gist to a PCP was formally assessed by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) in its 2005 report " From Cancer Patient to Cancer Survivor: Lost in Transition " (IOM, 2005). The report's recommendations for improvement of the process emphasized a smoother transition between the oncologist and referring physician , with more patient empower-ment and involvement. Some of the recommendations for the medical community included (1) implementing a comprehensive survivorship care plan summarizing cancer treatments and details for follow up , (2) creating and disseminating evidence-based guidelines for screening and managing late complications, (3) seeking reimbursement from third-party payers for survivorship services, and (4) cooperating with both public and private agencies in the research and awareness of survivorship programs (Ganz, 2009). Since the IOM recommendations were published, the Commission on Cancer of the Ameri-can College of Surgeons has put forth new standards for accrediting hospital cancer programs, where improvement in ensuring patients a smooth transition back to their referring physician is needed (Voelker, 2011). Most oncologists agree (at least in theory) that creating a care plan is important for meeting the IOM recommendations , but they often struggle to choose a concise, workable format and to find the time, personnel, and resources to complete an individual plan for each patient (Salz et al., 2012). Comprehensive cancer centers often receive funding to develop survivor-ship programs from patient advocacy groups such as the Livestrong Founda