Clinical placement program in cancer survivorship for primary care providers 2017-2019.

PURPOSE: The growing population of cancer survivors indicates an increasing role for primary care practitioners (PCPs). Building on two pilot initiatives, we sought to demonstrate feasibility of a state-wide program of short observational placements for PCPs and identify changes in knowledge and confidence to deliver survivorship care. METHODS: Placements were offered at hospitals with oncology departments across Victoria, Australia. Participants attended a multidisciplinary team meeting and a minimum of two outpatient clinics. Participation targets included at least 70 general practitioners (GPs), 15 practice nurses (PNs) and 15 allied health professionals (AHPs). Mixed methods evaluation included pre- and post-placement surveys. RESULTS: The program was successfully delivered across eight sites; 148 PCPs enrolled, 58 PCPs withdrew and ultimately 90 PCPs (53 GPs, 15 PNs and 22 AHPs) completed a total of 224 placements. Ninety-two percent (81/89) of participants reported increased knowledge and confidence regarding survivorship care, 87% (78/89) agreed they had opportunities to enhance clinical relationships with specialist teams and 93% (83/89) agreed the program was relevant to their practice. CONCLUSIONS: Building on previous pilots, this third iteration demonstrated the program is sustainable across multiple health services and geographical locations. PCPs reported increased knowledge and confidence regarding survivorship care and that the program provided opportunities to strengthen relationships between primary care and cancer specialists. IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: A placement program within tertiary cancer centres offers a feasible, transferable model to build PCP knowledge and confidence to deliver appropriate and quality survivorship care.

A clinical placement program for primary care professionals at a comprehensive cancer centre.

BACKGROUND: There is a growing number of cancer survivors and increasing interest in models of patient-centred shared care between oncology and primary care. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this article was to investigate whether a placement program for general practitioners (GPs) and general practice nurses (GPNs) was feasible, of clinical and professional value, and facilitated knowledge and skills transfer. METHODS: The program recruited GPs and GPNs to complete a 10-hour placement at a cancer centre. Participants completed pre-placement and post-placement semi-structured interviews. RESULTS: The participants for the study included 16 GPs, 12 GPNs and nine oncologists. All generalists reported that the program's learning outcomes, personal learning needs and relevance to practice were 'entirely' or 'partially' met All would recommend the program and could identify knowledge and skills transfer; however, learning was largely by observation rather than participation. Learning opportunities were skewed towards generalists. Participants showed enthusiasm to address the challenges of providing shared care. DISCUSSION: The clinical placement program was feasible and highly regarded.