Article

Implementation of an Evidence-Based Education Practice Change for Patients With Cancer

Denise Portz

Mary Pat Johnston

Patient education, chemotherapy/biotherapy, symptom management
CJON 2014, 18(5), 36-40. DOI: 10.1188/14.CJON.S2.36-40

As oncology care continues to move toward delivery in the outpatient setting, oncology nurses must find ways to effectively educate patients about diagnosis, treatment, and symptom management. A cancer diagnosis induces high levels of anxiety, often affecting a patient's ability to retain information about his or her disease, treatment, and symptom management. Based on results from the ONS Foundation-supported Breast Cancer Care Quality Measures Set and Breast Cancer Survivorship Quality Measures Set, a community-based, multisite cancer center located in the midwestern United States embarked on a quality project in patient education. The purpose of this article is to describe a quality project that evolved from a review of the patient education process for patients with cancer in three medical oncology clinics to a pilot of a new model for patient education. The pilot identified gaps, developed and implemented evidence-based improvement strategies, and planned for evaluation of process and patient outcomes of this practice change. A pilot study to assess processes and workflows associated with a one-hour separate patient education visit was designed and initiated. Patients and oncology nurses have expressed satisfaction with standardized patient education. Although processes and workflows continue to be evaluated, a proposal was developed, submitted, and accepted by the institutional review board to evaluate patient-centered outcomes.

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