The Polaris Oncology Survivorship Transition (POST) System: A Patient- and Provider-Driven Cancer Survivorship Planning Program

Abstract

BACKGROUND: It is strongly recommended that individuals ending treatment for cancer have a "survivorship plan," and new standards require survivorship planning for accreditation, However, a comprehensive plan is often neglected. OBJECTIVE: To present the development and field test results of a web-based, breast cancer survivorship care planning system. METHODS: The Polaris Oncology Survivorship Transition (POST) blends input from the electronic health record (EHR), oncology care providers (OCPs), and patients to create a survivorship care plan (SCP). The content of the POST program was created with the assistance of end-user input (patients, oncologists, and primary care providers (PCPs)) and the full program was piloted on women ending treatment for breast cancer. This paper presents the pilot study that field-tested the POST In a clinical setting. Patients were recruited from outpatient care clinics and chemotherapy units in a comprehensive care center. The study included 25 women ending treatment for breast cancer in the past year, 4 OCPs, and PCPs. Patients received the POST computepized assessment and a tailored SCP. RESULTS: The POST assists providers in crafting efficient and comprehensive SCPs and was rated highly satisfactory by all end-users. DISCUSSION: The POST program can be used as a cancer survivorship planning program to assist OCPs in care planning for their patients ending treatment for breast cancer. CONCLUSION: This study provides support for Incorporating computerized SCP programs into clinical practice. Use of the POST in clinical practice has the potential to improve survivorship planning.