[Long-term follow up of childhood cancer survivors in the Murcia Region: preferences and attitudes of Primary Care professionals]

Abstract

Objective: To assess attitudes, beliefs and knowledge of primary medical care professionals as regards the follow-up of Childhood Cancer Survivors (CCS) and the introduction of a Long-Term Follow-Up Program for Childhood Cancer Survivors in the Region of Murcia (PLASESCAP-MUR).

Material and methods: Descriptive cross-sectional study using a structured, self-administered questionnaire. These questionnaires were sent to all primary medical care professionals in Murcia Health District 1.

Results: Response rate of 58% (100/172), with 71% and 22% being family physicians and pediatricians, respectively, of whom 49% provided medical care to a CCS in the last 5 years, with 84% reporting that they never or rarely received a detailed report of overall assessment of the survivor. More than 75% found that access to detailed follow-up information was quite or very useful; 95% prefer to consult experts when providing medical care to survivors, and 80% believe that improving the quality of the environment may decrease the morbidity and mortality of the survivors. A statistically significant relationship was found between the length of practicing medicine and the perception of the importance of environmental factors.

Conclusions: It seems to be important to increase the training of primary care professionals for the long-term follow-up of CCS, as well as having the detailed information through a personalized long-term follow-up of each survivor. PLASESCAP-MUR offers an integrated follow-up to CCS in a model of shared care between Long Term Monitoring Units and Primary Care Units.

Keywords: Atención primaria; Environmental health; Long-term care; Neoplasias; Neoplasms; Pediatrics; Pediatría; Primary health care; Salud medioambiental; Seguimiento a largo plazo; Supervivientes; Survivors.