What is the current state of cancer survivorship care in Wisconsin?
To answer this question, the Wisconsin Cancer Collaborative convened an expert advisory panel to develop and disseminate a survey of cancer centers across Wisconsin. Forty sites completed the survey between June and October 2020.
Key findings were published this week in the Journal of Cancer Survivorship: The current status of survivorship care provision at the state level: a Wisconsin-based assessment.
Below are some of the report’s findings:
- Gaps in services include mental health services, risk reduction services, and sexual health/fertility services.
- Services related to behavioral health, fertility, and rehabilitation varied among sites. These services may be offered less frequently because of limitations related to insurance coverage.
- Discussion of long-term effects was a standard of care for all sites. Effects such as emotional distress and health practice changes were frequently discussed with almost all patients.
- 100% of sites reported offering medical follow-up care, financial counseling, and dietetics.
This report is part of our larger effort to work closely with member organizations to improve survivorship care in Wisconsin and better meet the needs of cancer survivors and their families. Please share these findings and use them to inform your organization’s cancer survivorship work.
Thank you to the 40 cancer centers and cancer treatment facilities that participated in this survey and the subsequent survivorship community of practice. We also want to thank our survivorship advisory panelists whose guidance made this work possible.
This work supports the Wisconsin Cancer Plan 2020-2030, Chapter 5: Survivorship.