This  Notes from the Field  piece provides information on the work of MCC\u27s cancer control priorities and the results of collaborative efforts to address them. The MCC\u27s Survivorship Workgroup was tasked with developing a project to support the Cancer Plan for Michigan’s Quality of Life Goal

Putt, MPH, CPH, Audra K

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Michigan Journal of Public HealthVolume 9Issue 1 Special Issue: Michigan Cancer Consortium Article 72018Collaborative Efforts to Improve Cancer SurvivorQuality of LifeAudra K. Putt, MPH, CPHMichigan Department of Health and Human ServicesFollow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/mjphPart of the Public Health CommonsThis Article is brought to you for free and open access by ScholarWorks@GVSU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Michigan Journal of PublicHealth by an authorized editor of ScholarWorks@GVSU. For more information, please contact scholarworks@gvsu.edu.Recommended CitationPutt, MPH, CPH, Audra K. (2018) "Collaborative Efforts to Improve Cancer Survivor Quality of Life," Michigan Journal of PublicHealth: Vol. 9 : Iss. 1 , Article 7.Available at: https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/mjph/vol9/iss1/7Michigan Journal of Public Health 22 Volume 9, Issue 1 2018  NOTES FROM THE FIELD Collaborative Efforts to Improve Cancer Survivor Quality of Life Audra K. Putt, MPH, CPH, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services  An individual is considered a cancer survivor from the time of diagnosis through treatment and beyond. In Michigan, there are about 526,100 survivors (American Cancer Society, 2016). Survivors are living longer with the support from advancements in cancer care and treatment. However, they may still experience the effects of their cancer for years to come.   Survivorship Care Plans (SCPs) are one way to support survivors during the transition from oncology care to the primary care setting. The Commission on Cancer established Survivorship Care Plan Standard 3.3 in which cancer programs are to, “Develop and implement processes to monitor the formation and dissemination of a SCP for analytic cases with Stage I, II, or III cancers that are treated with curative intent for initial cancer occurrence and who have completed active therapy” (Commission on Cancer, 2016). The SCP provides a record of treatment, follow-up care recommendations, referrals to support services, and additional community resources (Commission on Cancer, 2016).  SCPS support survivor quality of life by encouraging adherence to follow-up care and healthy lifestyle recommendations.   In 2016, the MCC Board of Directors selected SCPs as the 2016-2017 priority under the Cancer Plan for Michigan’s Quality of Life Goal. The priority focuses on increasing the number of Michigan adults diagnosed with cancer who report receiving instructions on where to return or who to see for routine cancer check-ups after completing treatment. The MCC Survivorship Priority Workgroup, tasked with developing a project to support this effort, consists of professionals from different backgrounds with extensive knowledge on the needs of survivors.  The MCC Survivorship Priority Workgroup determined their project would involve creating five SCP resource documents for post-treatment survivors. These documents would accompany SCPs and provide education and resources on healthy behaviors that can improve quality of life during survivorship. Between July 2016 and August 2017, document topics were selected by the workgroup based on common survivorship questions or concerns and important public health interventions. These topics were physical activity, nutrition, tobacco cessation, fatigue, and healthy lifestyle choices. The documents are not intended to replace consultation with a health care provider; survivors should see their health care provider for regular medical care. The goal is for providers to share these documents with survivors who would benefit from learning more about the specific topic.   Since the cancer survivor population is diverse, it was determined the documents would be written with plain language and a reading level to accommodate survivors of various education levels. Plans were also set to translate the documents into two additional languages widely spoken in Michigan, Spanish and Arabic. The workgroup collaborated with partners in the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, including the Tobacco Control Program, Division of Immunization, and Disability Health Unit, to review the documents that pertained to their content areas.  Michigan Journal of Public Health 23 Volume 9, Issue 1 2018   To test the resource documents for readability and usability, Institutional Review Board approval was received for a focus group with post-treatment cancer survivors. The focus group was organized in collaboration with St. Joseph Mercy Health System. Participants were asked to provide feedback on whether the five documents contained information beneficial to post-treatment survivors and were formatted in a manner they would find appealing and easy to read. It was concluded from focus group feedback that resource documents of this type should include:  • Additional resources related to the topic • Citations for information provided • Colorful pictures  • Plain language  • Bullet points Focus group feedback was helpful to ensure the documents were meeting the needs of those individuals their use was intended for.   The five resource documents were approved by the MCC Board of Directors in November 2017 and made available for download on the MCC’s website (see Appendix A for an example of the documents). The MCC Survivorship Priority Workgroup has promoted the documents at the MCC Annual Meeting and through various MCC communication channels. To evaluate use of the documents, metrics associated with document downloads from the MCC website will be monitored in 2018.   As the MCC Survivorship Priority Workgroup concludes their work on the SCP resource document project, they remain committed to improving the quality of life of Michigan cancer survivors. Over the next two years, the workgroup will focus on a new Cancer Plan for Michigan priority to reduce the percent of Michigan adults with cancer who report physical pain. Their project will involve creating a shared-decision making document for survivors that provides education on physical pain management. The workgroup and MCC are dedicated to meeting the unique needs of survivors as this population continues to grow.    This publication was supported by the Cooperative Agreement NU58DP006334 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  Michigan Journal of Public Health 24 Volume 9, Issue 1 2018  References   1. American Cancer Society (2016). Cancer Treatment & Survivorship Facts & Figures 2016-2017. Retrieved from, https://www.cancer.org/content/dam/cancer-org/research/cancer-facts-and-statistics/cancer-treatment-and-survivorship-facts-and-figures/cancer-treatment-and-survivorship-facts-and-figures-2016-2017.pdf  2. Commission on Cancer (2016). Cancer program standards: Ensuring patient-centered care. Retrieved from, https://www.facs.org/quality-programs/cancer/coc/standards    Michigan Journal of Public Health 25 Volume 9, Issue 1 2018  Appendix A: Fatigue Resource Document  Page 1 Michigan Journal of Public Health 26 Volume 9, Issue 1 2018    Page 2   

Collaborative Efforts to Improve Cancer Survivor Quality of Life

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Collaborative Efforts to Improve Cancer Survivor Quality of Life

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