It is the time of year to reflect and be thankful. I am Thankful for the people in my life who rallied around me during those dark days of cancer. The ones who help translate the jargon, navigate treatment options and support me emotionally and spiritually. This is what made it possible for me to survive the death sentence that was given to me back in 2009, my Stage IV melanoma diagnosis. If I did not have a team who communicated to keep me on track I would not be here today.
Shared Care in Cancer Treatment is now becoming a necessity, not a luxury. Patients are flooded with various treatment options and clinical trials to select from when deciding on cancer treatment.
The definition of Shared Care is a collaborative model that engages both oncology specialists and primary care providers (PCPs) in managing a cancer patient’s treatment, follow-up, and survivorship care.
This partnership aims to ensure continuity of care, optimize resource use, and cancer-specific and general health needs throughout a patient’s journey.
Benefits and Outcomes
Shared Care can improve outcomes for cancer patients by ensuring timely care and addressing physical and psychosocial needs.
Some key findings include:
• Improved survival rates and better quality of life.
• Enhanced patient satisfaction due to a comprehensive and coordinated approach to their care.
• Reduction in unnecessary hospital admissions and ER visits.
Better understanding of comorbidities, which may improve overall outcomes.
A review of studies has indicated up to a 20-30% increase in adherence to follow-up care in Shared Care models compared to standard approaches.
Challenges in Shared Care – Despite its advantages, Shared Care faces several challenges:
1. Coordination and Communication
Issue: Effective communication is critical for shared care, yet poor coordination can lead to fragmented care, missed information, and treatment delays. Healthcare providers, whether general practitioners, specialists, nurses, or therapists, may not always be on the same page, resulting in gaps or duplications in care.
Impact: Misunderstandings or lack of information flow can cause patients to undergo unnecessary tests, experience delays in diagnosis, or have treatments that contradict each other.
Solution: Implementing shared electronic health records (EHRs) and regular interdisciplinary meetings can improve coordination. Clear communication protocols and standardized documentation can help ensure everyone is informed about the patient’s condition and treatment plan.
2. Clear Role Definitions
Issue: In shared care, each provider has to understand their responsibilities and boundaries. The team needs to have a clear role in the process, to prevent providers from overstepping or neglecting their duties, leading to confusion and inefficiencies.
Impact: Lack of clarity can result in duplicated efforts (e.g., two professionals prescribing conflicting treatments), or essential aspects of care being overlooked because no one is specifically tasked with them.
Solution: Clear, written care plans with specific roles assigned to each team member can mitigate this. Role clarification should be part of initial discussions and revisited periodically to ensure all team members are on the same page.
3. Resource Constraints
Issue: Shared care requires adequate resources, including time, personnel, and funding. In resource-limited settings, not all providers may be able to participate fully or may be overwhelmed by the workload.
Impact: Without sufficient resources, the quality of care can suffer. Patients may not receive the timely attention they need, or healthcare providers may be unable to communicate and coordinate effectively.
Solution: Resource optimization, such as utilizing telemedicine or community health workers, can help. Additionally, prioritizing high-risk patients and leveraging technology to streamline care management can reduce resource strain.
4. Training and Familiarity
Issue: Healthcare providers involved in shared care often come from different disciplines and may not be familiar with each other’s roles or approaches. This lack of cross-disciplinary training can make collaboration more challenging.
Impact: If providers do not understand each other’s expertise or priorities, they may struggle to collaborate effectively. This can lead to suboptimal patient outcomes or missed opportunities for comprehensive care.
Solution: Ongoing interdisciplinary training and team-building activities can foster mutual understanding and respect among providers. Encouraging providers to learn about each other’s roles, clinical guidelines, and areas of expertise can lead to more seamless cooperation. If these four areas can be addressed when putting together your Shared Care Team, you will be a winner.
Despite these challenges, shared care can be incredibly effective if managed well. Shared Care can improve outcomes for cancer patients by ensuring timely care and addressing physical and psychosocial needs. I recently did a webinar with two thrivers, Meg O’Leary with Pancreatic Cancer and Toni Woolridge with Triple Negative Breast Cancer. Below are some takeaway clips from the webinar:
Advice on how to Navigate & Start this process [6 min]
What Does Shared Care Mean to you? [3 min]
While Shared Care is a promising formula you need support, clear protocols, and improved communication to be fully effective. If you are looking for tools to support, you through this process please do not hesitate to contact me at cstratos@1104health.com.