Treatment Summaries:
What you need to know
A Treatment Summary is a document (or record) which is produced by secondary care, usually the multi-disciplinary team (MDT) following completion of a significant phase of treatment.
This Treatment Summary should include:
- a summary of the treatment received
- the treatment aim
- everything the person has been told about their prognosis (eg, whether it is curative or palliative)
- an ongoing management plan in secondary care
- recurrence alert symptoms
- potential consequences of treatment
- recommended actions for primary care
- a key contact in secondary care for any questions or concerns.
The 'standard/usual' way of sharing information from secondary care to primary care is in summary notes or discharge letters.
In the case of cancer treatment, particularly from oncology, this does not always clearly define what primary care needs to know in order to offer adequate support. A summary of oncology treatment is not always targeted or relevant enough for the GP to be clear about their role in monitoring and supporting the person. This can create a barrier between the GP and the person living with cancer and prevent them from having informed discussions about ongoing care needs and the potential consequences of treatment. It also makes it difficult for primary care to identify their role in posttreatment support and monitoring, particularly around consequences of treatment and symptoms that require rapid reassessment in order to identify a recurrence.
Relevant READ codes for primary care are also important for coding within primary care IT Systems to allow for more automated alerts and accurate records when the person is reviewed by a GP or other primary care professional. The person in treatment or finishing treatment also needs a record to support them in discussions with their relevant professional in primary care about clinical management and signs of reoccurrence.
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