Identifying metrics of success for transitional care practices in childhood cancer survivorship: A qualitative study of survivorship providers.

BACKGROUND: Long-term survival in childhood cancer is excellent. Most survivors will have a therapy-related chronic condition, yet very few receive survivor-focused care as they transition from adolescence to young adulthood. The purpose of this study is to identify indicators of success in current transitional care practices for young adult survivors of childhood cancer as defined by all members of survivorship care teams. PROCEDURE: An exploratory, phenomenologic qualitative study was conducted with key informants from medical teams involved in transitional care of childhood cancer survivors. Data were collected through phone interviews with providers from both pediatric and adult care settings.
RESULTS: A multidisciplinary study sample of 29 participants from three institutions identified two major themes with multiple subthemes. The first major theme was that providers must be good communicators, and it emphasized the importance of having good relationships throughout the transition of care to optimize effective communication. The second major theme was that models of care must include well-established partners throughout the healthcare system that promote accessible subspecialty care with streamlined referrals and patient navigation services.
CONCLUSIONS: From the perspective of experienced pediatric- and adult-centered providers at three different institutions delivering life-long transitional care for childhood cancer survivors, the optimal model of care must be built around facilitating communication among all key stakeholders and emphasizing patient-friendly services that minimize patient stressors.