1. Implementation of a Palliative Oncology Tumor Board
- Author
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Roxanne Bolinger, Shanthi Sivendran, Caitlyn McNaughton, Wendy Wilson, and Elizabeth Horenkamp
- Subjects
Oncology ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Palliative care ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Context (language use) ,Medical Oncology ,03 medical and health sciences ,Presentation ,0302 clinical medicine ,Ambulatory care ,Multidisciplinary approach ,Neoplasms ,Internal medicine ,Humans ,Medicine ,Tumor board ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Referral and Consultation ,General Nursing ,media_common ,Social work ,business.industry ,Communication ,Palliative Care ,Electronic medical record ,Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine ,030220 oncology & carcinogenesis ,Neurology (clinical) ,business - Abstract
Context The integration of palliative care into standard oncologic care has been shown to improve multiple outcomes in patients with advanced cancer. Ideal methods for integrating these disciplines is an ongoing area of discussion. One method of integration is a palliative oncology tumor board (POTB). Objectives To describe the implementation of a POTB in a community cancer center as a method of integrating oncology and palliative care by providing a forum for multidisciplinary discussion of complex cases. Methods During development of the POTB, multiple influencing factors and barriers were considered including the setting of implementation, culture prior to implementation, design elements, engagement of stakeholders, and evaluation of implementation. The focus of this POTB was to address the identified communication gap between inpatient and outpatient care teams. Two complex hospitalized oncology patients were selected to be discussed weekly. Results Conferences were attended by an average of 23 individuals. The highest proportion of attendees were members of oncology support services (including nurse navigators, social workers, chaplains, dietitians, financial counselors; OSS; 31%), followed by medical oncology (25%). The most common theme of discussion was methods of communication with patient and/or family (68% of cases). Thirty days after presentation, a total of 50 new referrals were placed to inpatient palliative care, OSS, and outpatient palliative care and 11 new advance care plans were documented in the electronic medical record. Conclusion This paper describes a sustainable method to implement a POTB in a community cancer center setting, which is one method of integrating palliative care into standard oncologic care.
- Published
- 2021
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