Health care practitioner prescribing patterns and perspectives on oral chemotherapy management: A survey of cancer centers in Toronto, Canada.

Authors

null

Mark Pasetka

Odette Cancer Centre - Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada

Mark Pasetka, Larissa Day, Maggie Ford, Angela Boudreau, Angie Giotis, Yoo-Joung Ko, Sonal Gandhi

Organizations

Odette Cancer Centre - Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada, Sunnybrook Odette Cancer Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada, Dept. of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

Research Funding

No funding sources reported

Background: With an increasing number of patients receiving oral cancer therapies, evaluation of safe prescription practices, effective patient education, and toxicity monitoring of these agents is imperative. Methods: Multi-disciplinary oncology practitioners at several cancer centres in Toronto, Canada were surveyed using a web-based platform, to evaluate their prescription practices, use of patient education and symptom management tools, as well as their views on patient adherence and toxicity reporting. Results: Of 170 respondents, 43% were nurses, 34% were pharmacists, and 23% were physicians. Seventy nine percent considered patient education, medication adherence (76%), and toxicity management (78%) as “very important” components of oral chemotherapy management. Prescription methods varied: 59% of respondents used written prescriptions, 39% computerized physician order entry (CPOE), and 0% pre-printed orders, ≥50% of the time. Clinicians felt that patients report side effects from oral agents only “some of the time” (53%), and the most problematic toxicities were nausea (61%) and diarrhea (61%). Practitioners perceived the most common reasons for patient underreporting of side effects to be “fear of treatment interruption” (62%), and that “toxicities are part of the treatment” (66%). Seventy three percent of those surveyed felt individual counseling, follow-up calls (69%), and updated medication information (57%) would improve patient adherence and safety. Conclusions: A diverse group of surveyed oncology professionals expressed the importance of utilizing educational and toxicity monitoring tools for patients on oral cancer therapies, particularly as patients are thought to under-report symptoms. Prescription practices are variable, and CPOE use should be improved. The results of this survey will also be compared to a patient survey, to help develop better tools and policies to standardize practice, and improve patient adherence and toxicity management on oral cancer agents.

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Abstract Details

Meeting

2013 ASCO Quality Care Symposium

Session Type

Poster Session

Session Title

General Poster Session A: Science of Quality

Track

Science of Quality,Health Reform: Implications for Costs and Quality ,Practice of Quality

Sub Track

Quality Improvement

Citation

J Clin Oncol 31, 2013 (suppl 31; abstr 48)

Abstract #

48

Poster Bd #

C5

Abstract Disclosures

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