Background: Prostate cancer survivors (PCa) can experience a range of unmet needs over a long horizon of survivorship. Thin healthcare services and specialist-led follow-up care models may not adequately address these needs. Digitally mediated nurse-led virtual care models may help support PCa survivors who have unmet survivorship needs in current healthcare systems.
Methods: This qualitative descriptive study explores 10 patients’ experiences with follow-up and virtual care, informing the design of a nurse-led virtual clinic (the “Ned Nurse” Clinic) to provide integrated healthcare services.
Results: Patient follow-up care experiences included uncertainty regarding care gaps despite new telemedicine modalities and the need for personalized wellbeing support. Patient recommendations for virtual care related to improving integration of existing care connections, supporting patient self-management, and addressing accessibility. Patients anticipate nurse-led PCa virtual care will: (1) clarify patient and provider roles and responsibilities; (2) improve care ease and access to care; (3) enhance mental wellbeing, and (4) reinforce continuity of care. Conclusion: Patients are keen to benefit from the flexibility and increased resources that digital health may provide, but remain concerned about digital literacy and service changes to support these innovations. Future work should evaluate the efficacy of digitally mediated nurse-led virtual care models to support PCa survivorship.