In general, people return to the doctor for follow-up appointments every 3 to 4 months during the first 2 to 3 years after treatment, and once or twice a year after that. At these visits, you may have a physical exam along with blood tests and other necessary tests and procedures.
What is after care and follow up?
After care and follow up after examinations and treatments is a necessary part of medical care and an expected responsibility of physicians, hospitals, and other caregivers and medical facilities.
How often should I visit the doctor for follow-up care?
Each patient has a different follow-up care schedule. How often you return for follow-up visits is based on: In general, people return to the doctor for follow-up appointments every 3 to 4 months during the first 2 to 3 years after treatment, and once or twice a year after that.
What follow-up care do I need after cancer treatment?
There are different types of follow-up care. You usually have follow-up care at the hospital. This is usually with someone from your cancer team. These appointments may happen every few months in the first year after your treatment. You may be asked to have a blood test or scan before an appointment.
When is a doctor's failure to follow up with a patient?
Failure to follow up with a new medication or new dosage Not communicating the urgency of tests, medications, treatments, or other medical advice There are situations in which a failure to follow up with a patient is not the fault of the doctor.
What is follow up after treatment?
A follow-up care plan is a summary of your treatment, along with recommendations for your cancer care after treatment ends. Your plan may also include suggestions to help meet other needs, such as emotional, social, or financial issues. Choose your doctor.
How long after treatment Are you in remission?
In a complete remission, all signs and symptoms of cancer have disappeared. If you remain in complete remission for 5 years or more, some doctors may say that you are cured. Still, some cancer cells can remain in your body for many years after treatment. These cells may cause the cancer to come back one day.
How important is follow up care?
First, follow-up care generally keeps patients healthier and drives positive care outcomes. Second, early follow-up care can help reduce hospital readmissions. Regular post-discharge check-ins help catch complications early and mitigate growing issues, thus keeping patients out of the hospital.
Why are treatment and follow up important?
Timely follow-up with patients is vital for ensuring they're moving forward with the prescribed treatment plan, such as undergoing testing and taking their medications. In addition to increasing the likelihood of a positive outcome, a medical follow-up is critical for minimizing safety and liability concerns.
Which cancers are more likely to recur?
Related ArticlesCancer TypeRecurrence RateLeukemia, childhood AML159% to 29%, depending on riskLymphoma, DLBCL830% to 40%Lymphoma, PTCL975%Melanoma2115% to 41%, depending on stage 87%, metastatic disease15 more rows•Nov 30, 2018
Do you still have chemo when in remission?
The most common type of treatment during remission is maintenance chemotherapy. This is chemo that's given regularly to stop the cancer from spreading. Maintenance therapy shouldn't make you feel worse.
What is a follow up plan?
Listen to pronunciation. (FAH-loh-up kayr plan) A detailed plan given to a patient after treatment ends, that contains a summary of the patient's treatment, along with recommendations for follow-up care.
How do you get a patient to follow up?
Choose the ways your office will follow up.Phone. Talking on the phone allows patients to ask questions and staff to reiterate important points.Secure email. Secure email is part of many patient portals and can be an effective way to communicate with patients. ... Texting. ... Postal mail. ... Automated calling system.
What is considered a follow up visit?
A follow-up visit allows you time to write down the other issues which might have a bearing on your treatment options and overall medical care and discuss them calmly with your doctor.
Are follow up appointments necessary?
Follow up appointments are as important to a patient and to a doctor. Follow-up cancellations disrupt the medications, take up most of a physicians' time thus even prompting some doctors to charge no-show fees, worse to terminate relationships with chronic offenders.
How do I follow up with a doctor?
Chatting on the phone is the most appropriate way to follow up after certain appointments, and it may feel most natural to some patients. However, feel free to explore the other options. Consider using email or text messages to follow up after routine appointments so patients can respond at their convenience.
What is discharge and follow up?
Assurance Health Post-Discharge Follow-Up It allows the patient's actions, questions, and misunderstandings, including discrepancies in the discharge plan, to be identified and addressed, as well as any concerns from caregivers or family members.
What is follow up care plan?
A follow-up care plan is a summary of your treatment, along with recommendations for your cancer care after treatment ends. Your plan may also include suggestions to help meet other needs, such as emotional, social, or financial issues. Choose your doctor. For follow-up cancer care, you may see the same doctor who treated you for cancer, ...
How often do you go to the doctor after cancer treatment?
Your overall health, including possible treatment-related problems. In general, people return to the doctor for follow-up appointments every 3 to 4 months during the first 2 to 3 years after treatment, and once or twice a year after that.
What are the programs that specialize in long term follow up care for cancer survivors?
Some cancer centers and hospitals have programs that specialize in long-term follow-up care for cancer survivors. Many NCI-Designated Cancer Centers and large community treatment centers offer some form of survivorship program or clinic for adults who have been treated for cancer.
Why was the Focus study created?
The FOCUS study was created to better understand the many aspects and quality of follow-up care, to document the prevalence of late and long-term effects of cancer and its treatment, to understand survivors’ knowledge of late and long-term effects, and to study health-related quality of life and behaviors in long-term survivors.
Can you share a test with one doctor?
Some research has shown that sometimes treatments or tests with one doctor aren't shared with the other doctor. Ask both your doctors to send clinic visit notes to each other so everyone can be on the same page. Follow-up care for childhood cancer survivors is very similar to the steps for adults.
Can cancer show up after treatment?
Some cancer treatments can cause problems that may not show up for months or years after treatment. These problems, called late effect s, are specific to certain types of treatments and the dose received. When you discuss follow-up care with your doctor, they should talk with you about which late effects to watch for.
What is a follow up appointment after cancer treatment?
Follow-up appointment after cancer treatment. After your main treatment ends, you usually still see your cancer team for regular check-ups. This is called follow-up care. How often you see them depends on different things, including: the type and stage of the cancer. the treatment you have had.
How often do you have follow up care for cancer?
You usually have follow-up care at the hospital. This is usually with someone from your cancer team. These appointments may happen every few months in the first year after your treatment. You may be asked to have a blood test or scan before an appointment.
What to do if you have not seen your GP?
Your GP and practise nurse can offer support during and after treatment. If you have not seen them during treatment, it is a good idea to make an appointment when it finishes. Your cancer team will send them a report ( treatment summary) about your treatment.
What is the purpose of a follow up appointment for cancer?
The aim of this cancer follow-up appointment is to make sure everything is going well for you. It is also a chance for you to talk about any concerns you may have . The appointment helps your cancer doctor or nurse notice any possible problems early. They may examine you and do some simple tests, such as taking a blood sample. They will usually ask questions about your recovery and any side effects or symptoms you have.
What is a nurse's follow up care called?
You will still have any regular tests or scans you may need. This type of follow-up care is sometimes called supported self-management. Your nurse will help you manage your health. They will provide information on: side effects.
Do you need to go to the hospital after first year of cancer?
You will have fewer check-ups after the first year. You may not need to go to the hospital in the future. You may have your follow-up care over the phone with a specialist nurse, instead of at a clinic. You may also have some follow-up care with your GP. Your cancer team will discuss your follow-up care with you.
What happens if a doctor doesn't follow up with a patient?
When a doctor does not follow up with a patient, even if the patient is the one to miss an appointment, it may be considered failure to follow up. This can be considered negligent behavior, and in fact is one of the riskiest problems in healthcare for the medical professional. Without good follow up a patient’s condition could get worse, ...
What is failure to follow up with a patient after sending them to a hospital?
Failure to follow up with a patient after sending them to a hospital. Failure to follow up with a new medication or new dosage. Not communicating the urgency of tests, medications, treatments, or other medical advice.
What happens if a patient does not follow up on a medical malpractice claim?
If they do not, they may be found to be negligent and a patient may be able to prove that medical malpractice occurred. Malpractice requires proving that a breach in duty occurred in the form of a failure to follow up and that it caused significant patient harm.
What does it mean when a patient doesn't get enough follow up care?
This can be especially serious when the patient’s condition is cancer. Not getting adequate follow up care often means not getting needed or recommended treatments. The ultimate consequences of all of the possible ways in which after care can fail or be inadequate varies by individual.
What happens if you don't follow up on a cancer patient?
In either case the resulting harm may range from additional or worse mild symptoms to severe symptoms and progression of disease, and even death. This can be especially serious when the patient’s condition is cancer.
Why are follow up measures so common?
Inadequate follow up measures not only apply, but are increasingly common as reasons that patients file lawsuits. As care has become more ambulatory, follow up care has become more complicated, difficult, an often inadequate.
What is the importance of good after care?
Good after care is essential for adequate treatment , and while in some cases failure to follow up may lead to minimal or no consequences, in a lot of cases the results can be seriously damaging to the patient. Poor follow up care, for instance, could lead to a delayed diagnosis or a condition that gets worse. In either case the resulting harm may range from additional or worse mild symptoms to severe symptoms and progression of disease, and even death. This can be especially serious when the patient’s condition is cancer. Not getting adequate follow up care often means not getting needed or recommended treatments.