How a Shared Care Model Helps Community Oncologists Stay Connected After Clinical Trial Referrals

Author : 1104 Health | Published On : 13 Nov 2026

Cancer care may involve several physicians, healthcare facilities, and specialists as patients explore treatment options. Community oncologists often maintain an important role in a patient’s ongoing care, while academic medical centers can provide access to specialized expertise, clinical research, and additional evaluation. Coordinating these relationships requires communication that extends beyond an initial referral.

A clinical trial referral can introduce new questions about who will communicate with the patient, how relevant medical information will be shared, and what happens after the evaluation. Without a clearly defined follow-up process, referring physicians may have limited information about the status of an evaluation, outstanding requests, or the next steps agreed upon by participating care teams.

A Shared Care model provides a framework for collaboration between community oncologists and academic specialists.  Rather than treating a referral as an isolated event, this approach emphasizes physician communication, organized case information, and clearly understood responsibilities. For practices considering clinical research opportunities, the goal is to support access to specialized expertise while maintaining appropriate connections with the patient’s established care team.

What Is Shared Care in Oncology?

Shared care in oncology involves coordination between physicians and care settings that contribute different forms of expertise to a patient’s care. Community oncologists may manage ongoing treatment and follow-up, while academic specialists may provide additional consultations, evaluate research opportunities, or contribute expertise for complex cases.

The exact responsibilities depend on the patient’s needs, the participating providers, and the agreed-upon care plan. Shared care does not mean that every physician performs the same role. Instead, it creates opportunities for each team to understand its responsibilities and communicate relevant information.

A coordinated approach may include:

• Sharing pertinent medical records and case summaries before specialist discussions.

• Clarifying the purpose and status of a referral.

• Communicating evaluation updates and relevant recommendations.

• Identifying who will follow up with the patient and when.

• Maintaining appropriate communication with the community oncologist when another institution becomes involved.

These steps provide a practical structure for physician communication while allowing follow-up responsibilities to reflect each patient's circumstances and agreed care plan.

Why Clinical Trial Referrals Require Continued Physician Communication

Clinical trial matching can help identify research opportunities that may warrant further evaluation. However, identifying a potential trial is only one part of the process. Patients may need to discuss eligibility, travel requirements, additional testing, study procedures, and how participation could fit with their existing treatment plan.

A potential match does not guarantee eligibility, enrollment, or participation. The research team must assess the relevant criteria, and the patient makes decisions in consultation with their treating clinicians.

Communication between the referring physician and receiving institution can remain relevant at different stages of this process, including initial evaluation, eligibility discussions, and decisions about next steps. It can help clarify whether an evaluation is pending, whether additional information is required, and which team is responsible for the next steps.

What Happens After a Referral?

After a community oncologist refers a patient to an academic center for clinical trial consideration, several outcomes are possible. The patient may proceed with further evaluation, decide not to pursue the opportunity, or discover that the trial is not appropriate for their circumstances.

Each outcome may involve different communication and follow-up responsibilities for the referring practice, receiving institution, and patient. For example, the community practice may need an update about the evaluation, while the academic team may need additional records or clinical context.

A practical follow-up process can address three questions:

1. What is the current referral status? The referring practice should have an appropriate way to determine whether the patient has been contacted or evaluated.

2. Who is responsible for communication? The participating teams should clarify who will provide updates and discuss next steps with the patient.

3. How will ongoing care be coordinated? Relevant recommendations and changes to the care plan should be communicated to the appropriate clinicians, with suitable authorization and attention to privacy.

These questions help move the process beyond trial identification toward coordinated physician involvement.

How Community and Academic Oncologists Can Maintain Continuity

Continuity does not require every aspect of care to remain within one institution. It requires clear communication and an understanding of how different providers contribute to the patient’s care.

1. Establish Clear Responsibilities Before Referral

Before sending a patient for specialist or trial evaluation, the referring practice and receiving institution can clarify the purpose of the referral, the information required, and the expected communication process.

For example, the teams may agree on who will contact the patient, who will coordinate the evaluation, and how the referring oncologist will receive relevant updates. These expectations can be adapted to the clinical circumstances rather than applied as a rigid process to every referral.

2. Organize Case Information for Physician Discussions

Incomplete records or unclear clinical summaries may create additional administrative work. Structured case preparation can help participating physicians review information relevant to a consultation.

Useful information may include the patient’s treatment history, pertinent pathology and imaging reports, relevant molecular findings when available, and the clinical question being considered. The specific information needed will depend on the case and the purpose of the discussion.

3. Create a Defined Follow-Up Process

Referral follow-up should have a clear purpose. A practice might track whether an appointment has been scheduled, whether the evaluation has occurred, and whether a communication update is expected.

A defined process can also identify when staff should follow up on missing information or an unanswered request. This makes the workflow easier to understand and reduces reliance on informal messages or individual memory.

4. Keep the Community Oncologist Involved When Appropriate

When a patient explores care at another institution, the community oncologist may continue to play a role in treatment discussions, symptom management, and ongoing follow-up. The appropriate level of involvement depends on the care plan and the responsibilities agreed upon by the providers.

With appropriate consent and information-sharing practices, communication between teams can support the patient's ongoing relationship with their established oncology practice while allowing additional specialists to contribute according to the agreed care plan.

The Role of Case Prep and Physician Collaboration

Physician collaboration can begin before a referral and continue as relevant information becomes available throughout the evaluation and follow-up process. Case preparation can help organize clinical details, define questions for specialist input, and provide context for physician discussions.

For community oncology practices, this may mean preparing records for review, identifying the questions that require academic expertise, and documenting the next steps agreed upon by participating physicians.

Curbside consultations and focused physician discussions can also provide opportunities to exchange perspectives on a case. They are particularly useful when clinicians need to clarify a specific clinical question or determine whether a more formal consultation is appropriate.

These activities should complement, rather than replace, formal evaluations, documented clinical decisions, or established referral procedures when those are needed.

For 1104Health, the broader emphasis is on connecting community and academic physicians through infrastructure that supports Case Prep, physician collaboration, and shared-care discussions. Trial matching is one potential part of this wider workflow, not the entire purpose of the relationship.

Building a Practical Referral Follow-Up Workflow

Practices can review their existing referral workflows to identify where communication, documentation, and follow-up responsibilities may need clarification. This includes examining how referrals are initiated, how updates are received, and how responsibilities are documented.

A useful workflow can include the following steps:

• Before referral: Identify the clinical question, gather relevant records, and confirm the purpose of the evaluation.

• At referral: Document the receiving institution, the information sent, and the person responsible for coordinating follow-up.

• During evaluation: Track outstanding information requests and communicate appropriate updates between participating teams.

• After evaluation: Share relevant recommendations, clarify the next steps, and determine which clinicians will remain involved in ongoing care.

The process should also account for patient preferences. Some patients may choose not to pursue a trial or may prefer to receive subsequent care in a different setting. Their decisions should be respected, and communication should follow applicable consent, privacy, and clinical documentation requirements.

Practices can periodically review whether referrals receive appropriate follow-up, whether important information reaches the relevant clinicians, and whether staff understand their responsibilities. These operational checks can help identify gaps without assuming that every referral will have the same outcome.

How 1104Health Fits Into the Broader Collaboration Process

1104Health focuses on oncology infrastructure that connects community oncologists and academic specialists through physician collaboration and shared-care discussions. Its approach brings together Case Prep, clinical trial matching as part of the broader workflow, and opportunities for physicians to discuss relevant cases.

The broader consideration extends beyond identifying a potential clinical research opportunity to include how relevant information is shared, how referral progress is communicated, and how participating physicians coordinate appropriate next steps. Practices can also consider how the community oncologist may remain involved in relevant care discussions, depending on the patient's preferences and agreed care arrangements.

For healthcare organizations, these questions are part of building sustainable relationships between community and academic oncology settings. Clear expectations, organized case information, and defined communication responsibilities can provide a practical foundation for collaboration.

Conclusion

Clinical trial referrals can connect patients with additional research opportunities and specialized expertise, but the referral itself does not complete the coordination process. Community and academic oncologists also need ways to exchange relevant information, clarify responsibilities, and communicate about next steps.

A defined shared-care approach gives participating practices a framework for coordinating communication before, during, and after a referral. By organizing case preparation, clarifying follow-up expectations, and maintaining appropriate physician communication, participating teams can support coordination across care settings.

For 1104Health, this broader perspective places physician relationships and oncology infrastructure at the center of collaboration. The broader objective is to support connections between community and academic physicians as they exchange relevant information, discuss clinical considerations, and coordinate their respective roles in a patient's care.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is a shared-care approach in oncology?

A shared-care approach coordinates the involvement of physicians across different care settings. Community oncologists and academic specialists contribute their respective expertise while communicating about relevant clinical information, responsibilities, and follow-up.

2. Why is communication important after a clinical trial referral?

Communication helps physicians understand referral status, evaluation outcomes, and next steps. It can also clarify whether additional records are needed and how relevant recommendations should be incorporated into the patient’s care plan.

3. Does a clinical trial referral automatically end the community oncologist's involvement?

No. A referral for trial consideration does not automatically end the community oncologist’s involvement. Future responsibilities depend on the patient’s preferences, the clinical circumstances, and the care arrangements made by the participating providers.

4. How can community oncology practices track referral follow-up?

Practices can document referral dates, receiving institutions, outstanding information requests, evaluation status, and follow-up responsibilities. A defined process helps staff identify when an update may be needed.

5. What role does case preparation play in oncology collaboration?

Case preparation organizes relevant medical information and clarifies the clinical questions that need discussion. This can help physicians approach consultations with a shared understanding of the case and the information required.

6. How do academic specialists support community oncologists?

Academic specialists may provide additional expertise, evaluate complex cases, discuss potential research opportunities, and offer consultations when appropriate. The nature of their involvement depends on the clinical question and the arrangement between providers.

7. What should happen if a patient is not eligible for a clinical trial?

The relevant clinicians should communicate the evaluation outcome and discuss appropriate next steps with the patient. Depending on the circumstances, the community oncologist may continue coordinating care, consider other options, or arrange another consultation.

8. What role does 1104Health play in community and academic oncology collaboration?

1104Health focuses on oncology infrastructure, Case Prep, and connections between community oncologists and academic specialists. Its broader approach emphasizes physician discussions and shared-care coordination, with clinical trial matching as one component of the workflow.