Next Steps: Survivor Healthcare Passport — A Novel Form of Survivorship Care Plan in the Pediatric Population

Abstract

Purpose: Survivorship care plans (SCPs) have been instrumental in aiding transition from cancer treatment to survivorship care, which contains the diagnosis, treatment, potential late effects, and recommended follow-up. There has been paucity of research on its efficacy and lack of guidelines on development and delivery of SCPs. The Next Steps Survivorship Clinic at Children’s Wisconsin uses a Survivorship Healthcare Passport (SHP), a SCP pocket-sized card. This study aims to improve understanding of patient and parent use of the SHP at a single institution. Materials and Methods: An electronic survey was distributed to cancer survivors (14 to 28 y old) and parents/guardians who received the SCP. Data was analyzed with descriptive and correlation statistics. Results: Older survivors were reliable in carrying their SHP, and endorsed greater confidence in understanding its contents leading to a notion of improved ability to coordinate care. Younger survivors tend to rely on their parents. A preference for a smartphone application as another platform was noted. Conclusions: This form of SCP has shown to benefit older survivors which directly impacts the notion of efficacy in care coordination. Implication for Cancer Survivors: Providing easy-to-access information may encourage survivors to advocate for their health and to facilitate transition of care.