Treatment summaries for head and neck cancer survivors: a pilot study to improving patient recall and survivorship care plans

Background The treatment summary (TS) remains underused in head and neck cancer (HNC). We determine if receiving a personalized TS following a definitive HNC treatment improves patient recall of treatment details. Method A history questionnaire was administered to assess patient accuracy in reporting diagnosis and treatment-related details at baseline (pre-TS) and 1-month follow-up (post-TS). Statistical significance of accuracy changes was assessed using McNemar's chi squared test. Results One hundred participants were enrolled between January and December 2022. Ninety-one completed all surveys. Significant improvement in correct responses was noted for questions regarding cancer diagnosis type (94.5% post-TS, 78.0% pre-TS, p = 0.002), cancer diagnosis date (75.8% post-TS, 40.7% pre-TS, p < 0.001), T-stage (82.4% post-TS, 28.6% pre-TS, p < 0.001), and lymph node status (91.2% post-TS, 63.7% pre-TS, p < 0.001). Conclusion TS may improve HNC survivors' recall about their diagnosis and treatment in the short term. Patients view TS as beneficial to their survivorship care plans.