Advanced Practice Providers and Survivorship Care: They Can Deliver

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Healthcare Delivery
• Evidence-Based Practice

Background:

• Growing number of cancer survivors necessitates robust survivorship care models.
• Limited evaluation exists for current survivorship care practices.
• Advanced practice providers (APPs) are increasingly involved in cancer survivorship.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the concordance of APP-delivered survivorship care with Institute of Medicine (IOM) guidelines.
• To evaluate care provided to adult-onset cancer survivors.
• To identify areas of strength and potential improvement in survivorship services.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of records from three survivorship clinics.
• Analysis of care for breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer survivors.
• Data collection on recurrence surveillance, second cancer screening, symptom management, health promotion, and care coordination.

Main Results:

• High concordance with IOM guidelines observed across cancer types.
• Near-universal recurrence surveillance and high rates of second cancer screening.
• Consistent provision of health promotion discussions and symptom management by APPs.

Conclusions:

• Advanced practice providers demonstrate capability in delivering high-quality survivorship care.
• APP-led care aligns with established Institute of Medicine standards.
• This evaluation supports the integration of APPs in comprehensive cancer survivorship programs.