Project ECHO: Survivorship

Two-thirds of cancer patients live at least five years after diagnosis and many live for decades after treatment. The number of cancer survivors in the U.S. is estimated to be 18 million, including over one million living in Texas. An aging Texas population as well as continued improvements in early detection and treatment will further increase the number of Texans who will have been successfully treated. Evidence-based preventive services are an important component of care, however, they are utilized at less than recommended levels.

This innovative intervention is expected to promote the adoption of changes in practice systems associated with improved coordination and delivery of recommended services. It will enhance the capabilities and self-efficacy of clinicians to address the primary domains of survivorship care and will ultimately result in reduced morbidity and mortality while maximizing the quality of life for cancer survivors.

Practice system changes will be implemented to identify cancer survivors currently receiving general medical care in the practices. The clinicians will obtain or develop treatment summaries and survivorship care plans for those patients based on best evidence and guidelines developed by recognized organizations. This project will address primary prevention and lifestyle counseling, secondary prevention with surveillance and screening as well as tertiary prevention psychosocial, late and long term effects. Project ECHO® tele-mentoring will be provided through regular interactive sessions. Led by cancer center faculty content experts and collaborating partners, this will facilitate case based problem solving, sharing of best practices provide targeted educational programming and support process improvement initiatives.

This work was made possible by the UTHealth Academic Excellence Endowment and donors to The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center’s Annual Fund.

Charles E. Amos, Jr., Dr.P.H.
Program Director
Office of Health Policy
ceamos@mdanderson.org