Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the long-term impact of an automatically generated Survivorship Care Plan (SCP) on patient reported outcomes in ovarian cancer in routine clinical practice. Outcome measures included satisfaction with information provision and care, illness perceptions and health care utilization.
Methods: In this pragmatic cluster randomized trial, twelve hospitals in the South of the Netherlands were randomized to 'SCP care' or 'usual care'. All newly diagnosed ovarian cancer patients in the 'SCP care' arm received an SCP that was automatically generated by the oncology provider, by clicking a button in the web-based Registrationsystem Oncological GYnecology (ROGY). Ovarian cancer patients (N=174, mean age 63.3, SD=11.4; all stages) completed questionnaires directly after initial treatment and after 6, 12 and 24months.
Results: First questionnaires were returned from 61 (67%) ovarian cancer patients in the 'SCP care' arm and 113 (72%) patients in the 'usual care' arm. In the 'SCP care' arm, 66% (N=41) of the patients reported receipt of an SCP. No overall differences were observed between the trial arms on satisfaction with information provision, satisfaction with care or health care utilization. Regarding illness perceptions, patients in the 'SCP care' arm had lower beliefs that the treatment would help to cure their disease (overall, 6.7 vs. 7.5, P<0.01).
Conclusions: SCPs did not increase satisfaction with information provision or care in ovarian cancer patients. Our trial results suggest that ovarian cancer patients may not benefit from an SCP.
Trial registration: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01185626.
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