Primary Care Providers’ Knowledge, Attitudes, Beliefs, and Practices Regarding Their Preparedness to Provide Cancer Survivorship Care

Recent cancer care delivery models and clinical practice guidelines have expanded the role of primary care providers (PCPs) in routine follow-up of cancer survivors. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of PCPs affiliated with a large healthcare system to (1) examine practices, attitudes, and beliefs regarding preparedness to provide survivorship care and (2) explore predictors of confidence managing cancer survivors. We distributed a self-administered online survey to 1069 clinical affiliates providing primary care services within the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center system. Associations between PCPs’ professional characteristics and attitudes and preparedness were evaluated. Multiple logistic regression explored predictors of confidence monitoring common cancer treatment-related symptoms. One hundred twenty-seven eligible PCPs responded. The sample was split between academic and community practice (48.0% vs. 52.0%, respectively), predominantly comprised of physicians (81.8%), and 64.6% had > 15 years direct patient care experience. The majority agreed that PCPs play a valuable role in surveillance and adverse event monitoring in survivors, though less than 25% felt their professional training prepared them to perform each of these domains. Physicians were significantly more likely than advanced practice providers to be among the 65% of PCPs who were confident monitoring ≥ 1 symptom in each of the 5 evaluated symptom clusters (OR 3.6, 95% CI 1.2–10.8). PCPs appear willing to assume an enhanced role in cancer survivorship care but feel unprepared to do so. Enhanced training and dissemination of clinical practice guidelines are needed to facilitate effective implementation of PCP-delivered survivorship care.