Survivorship Care Plans: Initial Evidence of Impact on Distress and Self-Efficacy Among High-Risk Cancer Survivors.

Background: Recent meta-analytic evidence indicates that survivorship care plans (SCPs) may not yield improvements in cancer survivors' patient-reported outcomes. Objective: We sought to investigate the prevalence of SCP receipt and explore associations between SCPs and patient-reported psychosocial and health behavior outcomes in a sample of cancer survivors enriched with individuals with a family history of cancer. Methods: Using a cross-sectional survey, we evaluated receipt of SCPs and/or treatment summaries and psychosocial and behavioral health outcomes in 123 survivors of cancer. Results: Most (93%) of the sample had a family history of cancer; only 31% (n = 38) received some form of written care plan (SCP/treatment summary). Receipt of a care plan was associated with significantly lower psychological distress (F [1, 104] = 8.316, P = .005) and higher coping self-efficacy (F [1, 104] = 6.627, P = .011), but it was unrelated to patient satisfaction, quality of life, cancer-related distress, and other health behaviors. Discussion: Results suggest that SCPs are infrequently provided and not uniformly implemented, even among high-risk patients. Similar to a recent systematic review, findings provide initial support for the association between written care plans and psychological distress and coping self-efficacy. Although these constructs have implications for cancer survivors' communication with providers, psychosocial adjustment, and seeking/understanding medical information, attention to how high-risk survivors respond to SCPs and adhere to recommended follow-up care is important. Conclusion: Results of the current study contribute to the growing literature about SCPs. Future work will need to identify whether high-risk cancer survivors benefit from SCPs over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]