Development of a collaborative survivorship care model

About this study

Cancer survivorship care includes responses to complex and cross-disciplinary issues, such as prevention of recurrence and secondary cancer, management of long-term and late effects, improvements in lifestyle habits for health promotion, particularly responses to social issues of education, employment, and financial situations of patients with young-onset cancer, and introduction of NPOs as social support. However, it is considered difficult that cancer-specialized hospitals cover all the aspects of cancer survivorship care, although there are still several unmet needs for survivorship care and information about life after cancer treatment among cancer survivors.

The third Basic Plan to Promote Cancer Control Programs (2018) has explicitly stated “clarification of roles for designated cancer hospitals and community stakeholders to facilitate cooperation among them”; however, the development of specific strategies to implement survivorship care, the majority of which is non-medical care, in the community is just about to begin.

In this study, we are developing a collaborative cancer survivorship care model that is concerned with “as cancer survivorship care, what is provided, by whom, and where” (care delivery) and collaboration among various stakeholders such as designated cancer hospitals, medical institutions in the community, NPOs, and long-term care/welfare facilities. (National Cancer Center Research and Development Fund 31-A-23)