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Recommendation
Follow-up care – Selection of provider
(a) The selection of the provider of follow-up care (specialist(s) and/or general practitioner (GP)) should be a decision made by the multidisciplinary team and the patient, and be based on the purpose of follow-up and the individual patient’s needs, risk of recurrence, circumstances, health literacy, and preferences for shared follow-up care. This decision should be reviewed over time.
(b) All patients should be offered the opportunity for their follow-up care to be shared between a GP and a specialist, to provide more accessible, whole-person care.
(c) All patients should be informed about the benefits of GP involvement in their follow-up care and other relevant information to make an informed choice.
The selection of the provider of follow-up care should be a decision made by the multidisciplinary team and the woman and be based on the purpose of follow-up and the individual woman’s needs. This decision should be reviewed over time
Appropriate to offer patients with early breast cancer the opportunity for their follow-up care to be shared between a primary care physician and a specialist, to provide more accessible, whole-person care
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How this guidance was developed
This recommendation was adapted from the CA 2010 guidelines (Australia). The source recommendation was based on a systematic review of the evidence conducted to January 2008 and was not graded by the source guideline authors. The source recommendation was adapted by making it gender neutral, including information on offering shared-care follow-up care, and the provision of information to support an informed choice.
This recommendation aligns with the 2017 Cancer Australia Statement – Influencing best practice in breast cancer: Practice 6.
Follow-up care – Selection of provider
Recommendation
(a) The selection of the provider of follow-up care (specialist(s) and/or general practitioner (GP)) should be a decision made by the multidisciplinary team and the patient, and be based on the purpose of follow-up and the individual patient’s needs, risk of recurrence, circumstances, health literacy, and preferences for shared follow-up care. This decision should be reviewed over time.
(b) All patients should be offered the opportunity for their follow-up care to be shared between a GP and a specialist, to provide more accessible, whole-person care.
(c) All patients should be informed about the benefits of GP involvement in their follow-up care and other relevant information to make an informed choice.
Principles in action
Patient-centred care
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Multidisciplinary care
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Supportive care
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Care coordination
This recommendation was adapted from the CA 2010 guidelines (Australia). The source recommendation was based on a systematic review of the evidence conducted to January 2008 and was not graded by the source guideline authors. The source recommendation was adapted by making it gender neutral, including information on offering shared-care follow-up care, and the provision of information to support an informed choice.
This recommendation aligns with the 2017 Cancer Australia Statement – Influencing best practice in breast cancer: Practice 6.