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Examining Adherence With Recommendations for Follow-Up in the Prevention Among Colorectal Cancer Survivors Study
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May 2015
Source: Oncol Nurs Forum. 42(3):233-240
Details:
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Alternative Title:Oncol Nurs Forum
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Personal Author:
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Description:Purpose/Objectives
To explore the impact of health professionals’ recommendations for medical follow-up among colorectal cancer (CRC) survivors.
Design
Cross-sectional survey.
Setting
Mailed surveys and telephone interviews with CRC survivors in California.
Sample
593 adults diagnosed with a primary CRC six to seven years before the time of the study.
Methods
Participants were identified through California Cancer Registry records and invited to take part in a survey delivered via mail or through telephone interview.
Main Research Variables
The survey assessed cancer history, current preventive health practices, health status, demographics, and other cancer-related experiences.
Findings
More than 70% of CRC survivors received recommendations for routine checkups, surveillance colonoscopy, or other cancer screenings after completing CRC treatment, and 18%–22% received no such recommendations. Recommendations were sometimes given in writing. Receiving a recommendation for a specific type of follow-up was associated with greater adherence to corresponding guidelines for routine checkups, colonoscopy, mammography, and Papanicolaou testing. Receiving written (versus unwritten) recommendations led to greater adherence only for colonoscopy.
Conclusions
Most CRC survivors reported receiving recommendations for long-term medical follow-up and largely adhered to guidelines for follow-up. Receiving a health professional’s recommendation for follow-up was consistently associated with patient adherence, and limited evidence showed that recommendations in written form led to greater adherence than unwritten recommendations.
Implications for Nursing
Given the increasingly important role of the oncology nurse in survivorship care, nurses can be instrumental in ensuring appropriate surveillance and follow-up care among CRC survivors. Conveying recommendations in written form, as is done in survivorship care plans, may be particularly effective.
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Source:
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Pubmed ID:25901375
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Pubmed Central ID:PMC4501017
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