2136P - Prostate cancer supportive care (PCSC) program for patients and partners: A model for meeting an unmet need for PC patients

Background

Prostate cancer (PC) patients face treatment-related sequelae that affect their health and quality of life. The PCSC Program was created in 2013 and is located in the Vancouver Prostate Centre’s urology clinic. It is a clinical, educational, and research-based program that addresses challenges experienced by PC patients from the time of diagnosis onward. The program consists of 8 “modules” listed in the table.

Methods

We describe the operational details of the PCSC Program and its metrics.

Results

A Medical Director and Program Manager set the mission, oversee the day-to-day operations, and hire and manage the allied health clinicians and support staff. Office/clinic space is rotated during the week to accommodate a sexual health RN (1.4 FTE), 2 pelvic floor physiotherapists, a nurse practitioner, a registered dietitian, a clinical exercise physiologist (all 0.2 FTE), and a clinical counsellor (0.4 FTE). As of 05/2023, 3351 pts have registered for this no-cost program (Table). In 4/2020, the real-time group education sessions and clinic appointments transitioned from in-person to a hybrid with virtual options enabling the participation of patients from throughout British Columbia.

Table: 2136P

Attendance at PCSC modules for 3351 registrants from 2013 to May 2023

*Some attendees attended the group education sessions more than once.

Conclusions

The need for PC supportive care is well recognized but may be challenging to offer when the services are fragmented and time-consuming for clinicians or staff to arrange. All modules offered by the PCSC Program can be accessed with one registration. It is convenient for patients because it is housed in one location, which also facilitates communication across disciplines. We attribute the success of our program to this model and our team approach to the individual patient’s needs.

Clinical trial identification

Editorial acknowledgement

Legal entity responsible for the study

Prostate Cancer Supportive Care Program.

Funding

Has not received any funding.

Disclosure

All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.