Cancer Survivorship Education for Thoracic Advanced Practice Professionals: An Evidenced Based Practice Project

Abstract

Survivorship care generally involves care coordination, health promotion, and wellness in a variety of healthcare settings. Often, the survivorship educational curriculum is lacking for APPs. The purpose of this evidence-based project was to evaluate a survivorship E-learning curriculum for APPs by the number of thoracic surgery advanced practice provider (APP) survivorship care plans (SCP) and referrals placed for patient’s supportive care needs pre and post educational content. Patient satisfaction of survivorship care and the perceived impact of the E-learning series on future survivorship care was also evaluated. All thoracic surgery APPs at a 308-bed academic National Cancer Institute [NCI] designated comprehensive cancer center (CCC) in the Midwest were invited to participate in the E-learning evidence-based practice (EBP) project. The APPs completed the educational material and referrals to Cancer Supportive Care (CSC) services were tracked. Post-operative lung cancer patients (n=22) were seen for survivorship care and received SCPs following survivorship education. Post completion of the survivorship education, referrals (n=10) for CSC services were placed by thoracic surgery APPs. Patient satisfaction data were queried from February 2019 to June of 2019 of patients who were scheduled for survivorship care. Patient satisfaction scores indicated most patients rated survivorship services “very good” or “good.” APPs perceived the survivorship education E-Learning series met their objectives of enhancing survivorship knowledge and would recommend the educational content. Survivorship educational material directed to APPs can impact referrals to CSC services.