Precision medicine (PM) has the potential to tailor healthcare to the individual patient by using their genetic information to guide treatment choices. However, this process is complex and difficult to understand for patients and providers alike. With a recent push in the healthcare community to understand the patient experience and engage patients in their care, it is important to give patients the opportunity to learn about PM. We performed a systematic review to identify previous work assessing the quality of patient-facing PM materials from 2008 to July 2018. Ten studies were identified, which used varying methods and measures. A qualitative assessment was conducted to compare key elements of the studies, including study design, characteristics of the participant population, what measurements were used to assess the PM materials, understandability, preference, psychological reactions, and the type of PM materials being assessed. The studies identified provide important groundwork by highlighting consistent aspects of design that aid in comprehension. Eight of the ten studies focused on the content and organization of genomic test results, while the remaining two assessed educational tools. Two main design elements that appeared across the studies were appropriately designed visual aids and simplified language. The studies identified were limited by the participant populations that were used, which were primarily white and well educated. Only one study attempted to oversample patient populations typically underrepresented in this type of research. Through our systematic review, it is evident that the breadth of knowledge in this field is limited in scope and that more work must be done to ensure that patients can engage in their care when faced with PM.

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Care for cancer patients is very complex with many treatments involving drugs that can be toxic outside of the therapeutic range. As such, cancer patients are a particularly vulnerable population within the healthcare system, with any error potentially being harmful to a population whose health is already compromised. Self-reported patient safety events can provide a window into healthcare, revealing areas of care that require improvement. We identified events occurring in oncology units that both caused harm and were involved cancer patients for both out-patients and in-patients. Across all events, adverse drug reactions and intravenous-related events were the most common. Other relatively frequent events included those related to poor care coordination and falling. These results illustrate the safety risks patients’ face when being treated with cytotoxic drugs and offer insight to areas in which patient care can be improved.

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Many speech-language pathologists work in the skilled nursing facility setting and frequently treat patients in subacute rehabilitation who are experiencing mild cognitive deficits as a result of dementia. Treatment of these individuals needs to be carefully differentiated from rehabilitative treatment of a stroke or traumatic brain injury. A "habilitation" approach should be considered, focusing on an individual's preserved strengths and developing patient-centered goals that focus upon the integration of personally relevant stimuli into the care plan. Environmental modification, the use of visual memory aids, counseling, and ongoing family education are also essential components of this approach. This case study is a thorough example of how the habilitation approach can be used to provide intervention for a person with mild dementia. The case study will explain indication for treatment, assessment, goal selection, and research to support the treatment plan.KEYWORDS: Evidence-based practice (EBP), dementia, habilitation, caregiver education, skilled nursing, long-term careLearning Outcomes: As a result of this activity, the reader will be able to (1) develop personally relevant goals, and (2) support the need for a habilitation approach in the mild stages of dementia, including use of visual memory aids, spaced retrieval training, errorless learning, counseling, and caregiver education. 190This document was downloaded for personal use only. Unauthorized distribution is strictly prohibited.work with individuals and families coping with these devastating diagnoses, with an expertise in the neurophysiology of the diseases, but more importantly having the ability to counsel and educate families about the diagnosis while creating a unique plan of care. A dementia diagnosis often results in social isolation, a loss of dignity and independence, and decreased participation in meaningful activities. Individuals and families affected by these diagnoses are in desperate need of interventions that are personalized and that have the ability to be generalized to everyday situations. SLPs are traditionally trained to use the "rehabilitation" approach, which focuses upon fixing what was "broken" and identifying weaknesses to improve. A paradigm shift will need to take place, moving away from constantly testing these individuals to identify weaknesses and instead shifting the focus to a person-centered habilitation approach. 2 Taking advantage of the individual's strengths, developing personalized compensatory strategies and memory aids, modifying the environment, training family members and caregivers, and most importantly, integrating the individual's interests and passions into the plan of care are all essential components of this approach. Embracing the habilitation approach takes perseverance, creativity, and the willingness to toss aside the cognitive workbooks and brain games; it involves looking beyond "staging" the level of dementia and instead discovering the person beneath. This article and its partnered art...