Bridging the gap: identifying and meeting the needs of lung cancer survivors

There is a growing population of lung cancer survivors who may have unmet physical, psychological, and practical needs as they transition from active treatment into recovery. The specific needs and best ways to meet them are unclear in this population. This paper describes the development and outcomes of a program aimed to transition patients to survivorship. Patients with early-stage lung cancer were assessed for the presence and severity of unmet physical, psychological, and practical needs at the end of active treatment. Patients also attended a multidisciplinary clinic visit to create an individualized survivorship care plan and provide appropriate referrals. They were surveyed 3 months later to assess effectiveness of the program. Eighty-four participants were enrolled in the program. All reported at least one unmet need, with a mean of seven unmet needs, particularly related to breathing, fatigue, pain, and fear/anxiety. Following program participation, there were fewer and/or less severe needs. The Bridge program identified and decreased the number and severity of unmet needs through connecting survivors to local resources. Challenges to program implementation included hesitancy of providers to refer, time constraints of survivors and staff, and lack of community resources, especially for identified mental health needs.