Jul 22, 2011 - 1Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cancer Control Program, .... National Comprehensive Cancer Network41,42, to categorize each.
Differences Between Primary Care Physicians’ and Oncologists’ Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices Regarding the Care of Cancer Survivors Arnold L. Potosky, PhD1, Paul K. J. Han, MD2, Julia Rowland, PhD3, Carrie N. Klabunde, PhD4, Tenbroeck Smith, MA5, Noreen Aziz, MD, PhD6, Craig Earle, MD7, John Z. Ayanian, MD8, Patricia A. Ganz, MD9, and Michael Stefanek, PhD10 1
Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cancer Control Program, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA; 2Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Maine Medical Center, Portland, ME, USA; 3Office of Cancer Survivorship, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA; 4Applied Research Program, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA; 5Behavioral Research Center, Intramural Research Department, American Cancer Society, Atlanta, GA, USA; 6National Institute of Nursing Research, Bethesda, MD, USA; 7Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, Toronto, ON, Canada; 8Division of General Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital; Department of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; 9Schools of Public Health and Medicine, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; 10Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
BACKGROUND: The growing number of cancer survivors combined with a looming shortage of oncology specialists will require greater coordination of posttreatment care responsibilities between oncologists and primary care physicians (PCPs). However, data are limited regarding these physicians’ views of cancer survivors’ care. OBJECTIVE: To compare PCPs and oncologists with regard to their knowledge, attitudes, and practices for follow-up care of breast and colon cancer survivors. DESIGN AND SUBJECTS: Mailed questionnaires were completed by a nationally representative sample of 1,072 PCPs and 1,130 medical oncologists in 2009 (cooperation rate=65%). Sampling and non-response weights were used to calculate estimates to reflect practicing US PCPs and oncologists. MAIN MEASURES: PCPs and oncologists reported their 1) preferred model for delivering cancer survivors’ care; 2) assessment of PCPs’ ability to perform follow-up care tasks; 3) confidence in their knowledge; and 4) cancer surveillance practices. KEY RESULTS: Compared with PCPs, oncologists were less likely to believe PCPs had the skills to conduct appropriate testing for breast cancer recurrence (59% vs. 23%, P
