The state of cancer survivorship programming in Commission on Cancer-accredited hospitals in Georgia

Abstract Purpose In Georgia, there are more than 356,000 cancer survivors. Although many encounter challenges as a result of treatment, there is limited data on the availability of survivorship programming. This paper highlights findings from two surveys assessing survivorship care in Commission on Cancer (CoC)-accredited hospitals in Georgia. Methods In 2010, 38 CoC-accredited hospitals were approached to complete a 36-item survey exploring knowledge of national standards and use of survivorship care plans (SCPs), treatment summaries (TSs), and psychosocial assessment tools. In 2012, 37 CoC-accredited hospitals were askedto complete a similar 21-item survey. Results Seventy-nine percent (n=30) of cancer centers completed the 2010 survey. Sixty percent (n=18) reported having a cancer survivorship program in place or in development. Forty-three percent (n=13) provided survivors with a SCP and 40 % (n=12) a TS. Sixty percent (n=18) reported either never or rarely using a psychosocial assessment tool. Sixty-two percent (n=23) completed the 2012 survey. Ninety-six percent (n=22) were aware of the new CoC guideline 3.3. Thirty-nine percent (n=9) provided a SCP and/or TS. Eighty-seven percent (n=20) stated they were very confident or somewhat confident their organization could implement a SCP and/or TS by 2015. Conclusions The data indicated the importance of collaboration and shared responsibility for survivorship care. Broad implementation of SCPs and TSs can help address the late and long-term effects of treatment. Implications for Cancer Survivors Increasing knowledge on survivorship care is imperative as the Georgia oncology community engages oncologists and primary care providers to achieve higher quality of life for all survivors