As we are approaching the initiation of the Örebro pilot and when discussing the ASCAPE vision with the healthcare professionals who will be involved to the pilot, there is a common impression that ASCAPE could be able to fill a gap regarding the current rehabilitation strategy of cancer patients.
In Sweden, the follow-up for breast- and prostate cancer patients after curative treatment is partially based on standardized follow-up strategies focused on early detection of disease recurrence and on the contact between dedicated oncology nurses and patients. The later contact is the cornerstone of rehabilitation strategy in terms of patients´ quality of life (QoL) and efforts to improve QoL issues. Although this approach has some advantages, the major drawback is the discrepancy between the time needed to meet patients´ needs and the actual level of nursing resources available, leading to a “one-size-fits-all” follow-up approach rather than an individualized follow-up based on each patient´s QoL issues.
This is the gap that ASCAPE will eventually be able to fill. As the ASCAPE will be able to capture specific QoL issues that need to be addressed, the healthcare providers can individualize the follow-up strategies accordingly using the most suitable resources for each patient.
As all the Hospitals in Sweden are using electronic medical records in daily clinical practice, the Örebro pilot is an excellent opportunity to investigate the integration of ASCAPE in a clinical setting as a part of the existing electronic systems and follow-up procedures.
Blog prepared by Orebro University Hospital