A Survivorship Care Plan is a record of all the treatments preparing for, during and after transplant, and what follow-up care you need to stay healthy. They keep your recovery on track by helping you coordinate your health care between doctors, nurses, social workers, and others that you’ll see after your transplant.
“Survivorship Care Plans are essential tools in supporting patients in their post-transplant journey. They offer support and guidance to the patient as well as to the medical team serving as a road map representing where the patient has been and where they are going,” says Sarah Rusch MS, PA-C; Manager, Patient Services with Be The Match.
What should a Survivorship Care Plan include?
A Survivorship Care Plan is your personal tool ─ tailored just for your specific needs ─ to help you keep track of your health care information in one place. According to Sarah, a Survivorship Care Plan for transplant recipients should include:
- A summary of transplant history
- A detailed plan and schedule for ongoing care
- Contact information for your health care team
- Tests you may need
- Signs and symptoms to watch for
How to use your plan
It is important to share your Survivorship Care Plan with your primary care doctor as well as any other specialists involved in your after-transplant care. This will help everyone communicate with each other.
Take your Survivorship Care Plan with you to all your visits with doctors and nurses. Use it as a reminder to ask questions, take notes, keep track of test results, and write down next steps.
“We strongly feel that empowering patients with knowledge and information will facilitate their survivorship care,” says Navneet Majhail, M.D., M.S., Physician-in-Chief of Blood Cancers, Sarah Cannon.
It's also important to share your care plan with your caregiver. They can help you coordinate appointments, ask questions and notice symptoms that you may not.
If you don’t have a Survivorship Care Plan
Your doctor or care team should give you a plan when you finish your transplant. If you don’t have one, ask your transplant doctor or care team. Be sure to ask your doctor about anything in your Survivorship Care Plan that you don’t understand.
Keep in mind, if your transplant was many years ago, your plan might need updating. Doctors may know more now, and medical guidelines may have changed over time. Ask your doctor to review it and update if needed.
How Be The Match can help
You can also use our free after-transplant care guides to help keep your recovery on track. The guidelines have information on the recommended tests and exams for your 6 and 12-month checkups after transplant.
The guidelines are available in a free mobile app, online or print. There’s a version for your health care team, too. Bring a copy of your care guide with you to your next appointment.