Abstract
521
Background: Survivorship Clinics provide essential, multidisciplinary care to support the long-term health and well-being of cancer survivors (CS) throughout the cancer continuum. This includes improved coordination of care, enhanced access to supportive services, and comprehensive long-term follow-up. Despite its benefits, referrals to survivorship clinics remain challenging. Understanding these barriers is critical for improving referral practices, expanding access to survivorship services, and ultimately optimizing overall patient outcomes. Methods: At Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center (SCCC), the Sylvester Survivorship and Supportive Care program offers disease-specific Survivorship Wellness Clinics (SWCs), with referrals initiated via an EPIC order. To better understand referral barriers, a 10-item survey was developed and distributed among cancer providers at SCCC. Data were collected online using a Qualtrics platform. The survey was distributed via email, in-person through a flyer with a QR code, and through informal presentations. The survey included questions that measured the level of awareness of SWCs, patient eligibility, concerns regarding the referral process, follow-up care, and provider-related barriers such as time constraints, as well as other implications of the referral for patients. Results: The survey received a total of 35 responses across SCCC healthcare providers. Of these, 35% were physicians, 61% advanced practice providers, and 3% identified as other. Multiple oncology practice areas were represented; 58% from medical oncology. At least 48% of providers were “somewhat familiar” with SWC’s services, and the highest responders were the newest providers with 0-5 years (45%) at SCCC. The most commonly endorsed barrier was a lack of knowledge of services (36%). Additional key barriers identified included uncertainty about patient eligibility (35%), lack of knowledge of services (31%), and logistical concerns of the referral process (31%). Conclusions: These survey findings suggest that addressing provider-level barriers may increase confidence in the services offered through the survivorship program, thereby improving referrals. Based on these results, future directions include implementing an EPIC Best Practice Advisory (BPA) aligned with the updated CoC Standard 4.8, targeting provider re-education on SWC services, expanding nurse navigation touchpoints, and providing health system marketing support to increase visibility and awareness of these services.