Oncology Related Patient Safety Events

Abstract

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.

Which Factors Promote Shared Understanding Between Physicians and Nurses in Inpatient Oncology Care Settings?

“…In an oncology setting, patient safety is greatly compromised when the providers ordering and overseeing these treatments and the nurses administering the treatments and monitoring the patient do not share an understanding of the treatment plan and the goals for the patient. 6 Strategies to improve the coordination of care, which hinge on communication, are critical in improving a patient's experience, increasing the effectiveness of care delivery by decreasing delays and omissions, and reducing errors that could potentially lead to adverse or sentinel events. [7][8][9] Communication training programs are an example of a set of strategies generated to help individuals develop the communication skills necessary for successful healthcare delivery.…”

“…The quality of shared understanding may be especially relevant to oncology care, given the complexity of the disease, the treatment regimens, and the care team. In an oncology setting, patient safety is greatly compromised when the providers ordering and overseeing these treatments and the nurses administering the treatments and monitoring the patient do not share an understanding of the treatment plan and the goals for the patient 6 …”