BACKGROUND: Integrating quality-of-life (QOL) outcomes into clinics may assist providers in identifying and responding to problems experienced by cancer survivors. To date, however, patient-reported outcomes (PROs) such as QOL are used infrequently to guide care. We integrated QOL assessments into a prostate cancer survivorship clinic and compared recovery and satisfaction among men managed in the survivorship clinic with those followed with more routine care. METHODS: We conducted a before-after study comparing 235 men treated surgically for prostate cancer who received routine follow-up care with 102 men managed in a survivorship clinic characterized by point-of-care QOL reporting and integration of QOL scores (EPIC) following radical prostatectomy. We then assessed baseline and postprostatectomy QOL at 6 and 12 months, as well as patient satisfaction, and compared outcomes between groups. RESULTS: Although baseline QOL was comparable, scores were generally higher among the survivorship group at 6 months and 1 year compared with those followed with routine care. In particular, sexual function scores were significantly higher among patients managed in the survivorship clinic (52.2 vs 33.6 at 1 year, P < .01). Satisfaction scores were consistently higher in the survivorship clinic group compared with the routine-care group (all P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Patient QOL and satisfaction were higher among men managed in a survivorship program, suggesting that disease-specific survivorship clinics that integrate QOL reporting into care pathways may yield better outcomes compared with less tailored approaches to patient care following cancer therapy.
BACKGROUND: Integrating quality-of-life (QOL) outcomes into clinics may assist providers in identifying and responding to problems experienced by cancer survivors. To date, however, patient-reported outcomes (PROs) such as QOL are used infrequently to guide care. We integrated QOL assessments into a prostate cancer survivorship clinic and compared recovery and satisfaction among men managed in the survivorship clinic with those followed with more routine care. METHODS: We conducted a before-after study comparing 235 men treated surgically for prostate cancer who received routine follow-up care with 102 men managed in a survivorship clinic characterized by point-of-care QOL reporting and integration of QOL scores (EPIC) following radical prostatectomy. We then assessed baseline and postprostatectomy QOL at 6 and 12 months, as well as patient satisfaction, and compared outcomes between groups. RESULTS: Although baseline QOL was comparable, scores were generally higher among the survivorship group at 6 months and 1 year compared with those followed with routine care. In particular, sexual function scores were significantly higher among patients managed in the survivorship clinic (52.2 vs 33.6 at 1 year, P < .01). Satisfaction scores were consistently higher in the survivorship clinic group compared with the routine-care group (all P < .05). CONCLUSIONS:Patient QOL and satisfaction were higher among men managed in a survivorship program, suggesting that disease-specific survivorship clinics that integrate QOL reporting into care pathways may yield better outcomes compared with less tailored approaches to patient care following cancer therapy.
Authors: Stephanie R Reading; Kimberly R Porter; Jeffrey M Slezak; Teresa N Harrison; Joy S Gelfond; Gary W Chien; Steven J Jacobsen Journal: Sex Med Date: 2017-08-18 Impact factor: 2.491
Authors: Shiyu Jiang; Peng Liu; Sheng Yang; Jianliang Yang; Dawei Wu; Hong Fang; Yan Qin; Shengyu Zhou; Jianping Xu; Yongkun Sun; Hongnan Mo; Lin Gui; Puyuan Xing; Bo Lan; Bo Zhang; Le Tang; Yan Sun; Yuankai Shi Journal: BMJ Open Date: 2019-06-01 Impact factor: 2.692
Authors: Benjamin Shemesh; Jacinta Opie; Ellie Tsiamis; Darshini Ayton; Prassannah Satasivam; Paula Wilton; Karla Gough; Katrina Lewis; Colin O'Brien; Max Shub; Amanda Pomery; Christopher Mac Manus; Jeremy Millar; Susan Evans Journal: Health Expect Date: 2022-04-11 Impact factor: 3.318