I saw an ad in today's New York Times for a program that is aimed at helping cancer patients after they finish active treatment. It's called "Journey Forward", part of the Wellpoint effort to improve health care for cancer survivors. Teaming with UCLA Cancer Survivorship Center, the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship, and Genentech, they created a program that expects to improve coordination and communication between cancer patients and their oncology and primary care physicians.
The program provides tools to help patients to have the important discussions with their medical team on what steps can be taken by patients to manage the physical and emotional issues that arise for cancer survivors:
http://journeyforward.org
The goal of the program is to "...Prevent recurrent and new cancers as well as other late effects; Intervene for symptoms that result from cancer and its treatment; Coordinate the work of specialists and primary care physicians to ensure that all of a Survivor's health needs are met."
This means that each cancer patient will have a Survivorship Care Plan, and that will allow them to know they will continue to receive the same level of care even after active treatment of their cancer ends. Journey Forward promises to provide a bridge of care to help cancer survivors know what to expect for their future.
Components of the program include a survivorship tool kit, a medical history builder, a resources directory, and tips on talking to your doctor. This can help tremendously in understanding not only how cancer affects you, but what you can expect when active cancer treatment ends, and you're no longer making the trips to the center.
On the surface, it sounds like a great idea. How many cancer patients end active treatment and then feel like they are left dangling off of a cliff, unable to climb up or safely get down? With a plan in place, with information on what to expect and signs that are critical to monitor, won't this be a benefit to cancer survivors? There is surely nothing as frustrating as trying to figure out how to get back to living after cancer treatment. In the back of one's mind is always the fear that cancer will return, maybe in a different location. This program appears to tackle that issue, by offering a way to coordinate not only with the oncology team, but also with the primary care physicians.
The question is how will cancer patients view this program? Would it be helpful, after you are discharged from active cancer treatment, to know that your primary care physician will participate in your care and will be part of the team that supports you? I wonder how many cancer patients hesitate to call their oncology team when they notice a little symptom pop up here and there. Would it be less terrifying to call your primary care physician for a check-up?
For many cancer patients, there are long-term side effects from treatment, and some can linger for a long time, affecting one's quality of life as much as the cancer itself. Wouldn't it be wonderful to have a plan on how to address these issues and help you get on with your life?
The real test of the program will be in its beneficial results for cancer survivors. As more and more patients get involved and they begin to utilize the tools, it will become obvious whether the program offers a real opportunity for cancer survivors. My hope is that it is so well-planned and so careful about the little details of cancer management that it saves lives. The sooner cancer survivors notice what isn't right and get treated, the better. What good is surviving cancer if your quality of life isn't improved by the treatment? I hope this program does that.
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