Patients preference in receiving phone call from oncologist after cancer diagnosis and before in person consultation.

Abstract

e18044 Background: Diagnosis of cancer creates an emotionally challenging time for patients. Waiting period between receiving diagnosis, and formal consultation with an Oncologist is associated with fear, shock, and uncertainty. Understanding patients’ preferences during this sensitive period is essential in providing high quality care. We hypothesized that receiving a call from an Oncologist, while waiting for a formal consultation, would help patients cope with cancer diagnosis. Methods: To assess our hypothesis, we surveyed 171 patients across five Kaiser Permanente medical centers. All patients received a call from an Oncology navigator to onboard them, and assure completion of necessary tests before in-person consultation with Oncologist. Of the 171 patients surveyed, 61 patients received an additional call from their assigned Oncologist before a formal in-person consultation. To understand the impact of the call made by the Oncologist, a survey was administered to patients within a few weeks of consultation. The remaining 110 patients who only received a call from an Oncology navigator were also surveyed to determine if a call from an Oncologist before their consultation could have helped them cope better with their cancer diagnosis. Results: Approximately 45 % of surveyed patients (n = 171) preferred a call from an Oncologist before the formal consultation. Conclusions: Brief telephone contact by Oncologist before in-person consultation supports newly diagnosed cancer patients with high-levels of uncertainty and shock. A substantial portion of newly diagnosed cancer patients prefers to speak with an Oncologists in the days after receiving a cancer diagnosis, and those who do receive an Oncologist call, find it beneficial in coping with their diagnosis.[Table: see text]