Providing cancer survivorship care plans for Spanish language speakers: Overall use and satisfaction patterns.

Abstract

e20671 Background: Cancer survivorship care plans may be communication aides to assist healthcare providers and empower survivors. A paucity of information exists regarding the provision of survivorship care plans to the Spanish speaking population. Methods: The LIVESTRONG Care Plan is an Internet-based tool for creation of survivorship care plans, originally launched in 5/07. It is available at www.livestrongcareplan.org, and via OncoLink, a cancer information website based at the University of Pennsylvania, serving over 3.9 million pages/ month to 185,000 unique IP addresses. A direct link on the homepage directs users to the Spanish version. All information is provided and translated by oncology nurses and physicians. Results: Since launch of the tool, 293 Spanish care plans have been created (1% of total care plans). Care plans in Spanish have been created by survivors in 78% of cases, and healthcare providers in 22%. This differs from the entire user population, in which use by HCP approaches 50% (p=< 0.001). Spanish-speaking users are 52% female, and 82% Latino/a, and less likely from the US (60% vs 87% , p=0.02), also being from Mexico (15%), Spain (10%), Chile (9%), Puerto Rico (5%) and Venezuela (3%). Spanish users were most often survivors of breast (20%) GU (33%) and GI (20%) cancers (vs general population 50%, p = 0.03; 10%, p = 0.04; 11%, p = 0.03, respectively). Only 8% of Spanish-speaking users report having received previous survivorship information vs 13% in the overall group (p=0.07). All users (100%) of the Spanish version rate experience and satisfaction with the care plan as “very good” or “excellent.” Average time for completion of Spanish plans was 9:28 min. Conclusions: Most users of the Spanish plan are survivors who have not received this information before, from the US and several Central/South American countries. They are highly satisfied with the information provided. Healthcare providers are proportionally less likely to use the Spanish version of the plan than survivors are.