The challenge of patient education traditionally is a responsibility of nurses. The nursing process of assessing, planning, implementing and evaluating is never more appropriate than when teaching patients and families about cancer treatments. In the past, as patients prepared for traditional IV (intravenous) treatment, nurses had a 'captured audience' to teach and the opportunity to then reinforce repeated verbal instructions and written materials, slowly and thoroughly reviewing procedures and potential problems. Plus, nurses had ample opportunities to physically see and touch patients throughout the course of their treatments in order to assess for treatment side effects and disease symptoms. However, today, patients prescribed oral chemotherapy may never see a nurse. The physician may write a prescription, which is then filled by a pharmacist.
AbstractJust as new discoveries are changing the approach to 'personalise' cancer treatments, the medications to treat cancers have changed as well. Anticancer agents now include cytotoxics, thought of as traditional chemotherapy, and biologics, often referred to as targeted therapy, many of which are formulated as oral agents. This changing model has resulted in new challenges for oncology professionals to ensure that patients receive education in a comprehensive and consistent manner regarding oral agents. In response to published reports and studies citing the adherence and safety problems for people on these oral medications, along with the noted lack of systematic teaching strategies, the MASCC Oral Agent Teaching Tool © (MOATT), issued by the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC), was designed by oncology nurses to meet the need for a complete and dependable approach to education.